28 STATE P0M0L0GICA1. SOCIETY. 



superior, — to any other collection shown, the only drawbacks being- those 

 already named, — lack of color and flavor, — deficiencies, indeed, that seem nearly 

 or quite inseparable from excessive size. 



The Leavenworth County] Horticultural Society made a district display of 

 two hundred varieties of apples in connection with the general exhibit, in the 

 Pomological Annex, which must be said to have been fullv as fine as that in 

 the Kansas State building and possessing the same general characteristics. 



MICHIGAN 



-entered under several serious difficulties in her endeavors to properly represent 

 herself in the face of this competition. The meagre appropriation provided by 

 the Legislature is understood to have become exhausted in collecting, transmit- 

 ting and caring for the not very satisfactory display of the agricultural products 

 of the State, which failed to meet the hopes and anticipations of our State 

 ■Centennial Commissioners, mainly, as we infer, from the failure of the agricul- 

 turists of the State to rise to such conception of the immense advantages of an 

 adequate display of the products of our soils, as should be needful to inspire 

 them with the requisite energy and enthusiasm. 



The unsatisfactory condition of this portion of our State exhibit seems to have 

 turned the attention of our Commissioners, and especially of the Governor, to 

 the fruit exhibit as the only remaining compensation for such failure ; and he 

 •strongly and earnestly urged the gentlemen in charge of the collections to be 

 sure that the success of the Chicago exhibition in 1875, and of our spring ex- 

 hibit at Philadelphia in May last, should be fully sustained by this autumn 

 collection. These earnest calls of the Governor and the Commission were 

 •seconded by their assurance that, notwithstanding the failure of the appropria- 

 tion, the expense of forwarding these collections should "in some way " be 

 paid. This assurance was the more needful for the reason that the Express 

 Companies utterly refused to forward packages to Philadelphia, except upon 

 pre-payment of the charges. This had the effect to drive these shipments large- 

 ly into the hands of the through freight lines, and that, so far as Ave are able 

 to judge, with a slight loss in time ; but with very great advantage in safety and 

 economy of transmission. 



After careful consideration, it was decided to waive all attempt to exhibit the 

 earlier and more perishable fruits, but to open our display with plums and early 

 peaches, which were accordingly sent forward in their season in limited quanti- 

 ties ; but it was not till early September that even these were adequately 

 represented. 



The second week in September was certain to prove too early for any except 

 a few of our very early fruits, as it was foreseen that our late autumn and winter 

 varieties would be but partially colored and very much lacking in size, as well 

 as in general appearance. 



Foreseeing this, it was determined to make but a partial display of our earlier 

 fruits during the week assigned for that purpose, but to reserve our main effort 

 till about the usual season for the gathering of our winter fruits. In the mean- 

 time Judge Ramsdell of Traverse City, represented his locality with plums, and 

 Mr. II. E. Bidwell, of South Haven, forwarded some of the earlier varieties of 

 peaches, while a few others forwarded some of the earlier apples, through H. 

 Dale Adams, the collector of apples, and E. H. lleynolds, of Monroe, among 

 which were a small but beautiful collection from the Peninsula Farmers' Club 

 of Grand Traverse. At my suggestion, Mr. -I. W. Humphrey sent a select col- 



