MICHIGAN FRUIT AT THE CENTENNIAL. 135 



from the State of Michigan. This display is made by the Pomological Society of the 

 State. Most of the varieties are in excellent condition. Indeed, it is surprising t<> 

 see such a variety of fruit in such a state of preservation in the month of May." 



The Board of International Judges not being organized in time for this exhi- 

 bition, a special committee of experts was appointed by the chief of the Bureau 

 of Agriculture., Mr. Burnett Landreth, to inspect the spring exhibition of Avin- 

 ter fruit. In their report to Director-General A. T. Goshorn, they say : 



A very good collection of apples from the Iowa State Horticultural Society: 

 remarkably well kept apples from the fruit houses of N. Hellings it Brother, Bat- 

 tle Creek, Michigan; and a superior collection from the Michigan State Pomological 

 Society, embracing forty varieties of kinds that have been kept in the ordinary farm- 

 house cellars of some of the members of the Society. As the season is very late for 

 good keeping apples, the committee made notes of those varieties which seemed to 

 them meritorious, taking as a standard of character the actual condition of each vari- 

 ety with the best known specimens of its own kind, as well of actual good quality. 

 In the Iowa collection they note as among the best Tewkesbury, Winter Blush. Ort- 

 ley and Kawle's Janet, Newtown Pippin, Jonathan, Winesap, and two not well known 

 out of the west, — Hoover and Minkler, — as not having much to recommend them. In 

 the collection of the Michigan State Pomological Society the finest w T ere the Roxbury 

 Russet, Rock, Willow Twig, Smith's Cider, Rhode Island Greening, Jonathan, Falla- 

 water, Esopus Spitzenberg, both kinds of Newtown Pippins, and Red Canada. The 

 last seems remarkably fine for this part of the country. Steele's Winter, as exhibited 

 by Mr. John Waterman, of Plymouth, Michigan, were so nearly alike with Canada 

 Red that if there was any difference the committee failed to detect it. Among the 

 kinds little known east, but presenting points of interest at this season, the commit- 

 tee noted Detroit Red, Emerson, Well and Brookes' keeper. The collection from 

 Messrs. Hellings' embraced forty dishes in ten varieties, all high colored, and all large 

 and well grown fruit. They were all grown in Michigan, in 1875, and by the method 

 pursued by them in their fruit-house, had even the stems as green and firm as when 

 plucked from the trees. The Rhode Island Greenings and Northern Spies were fully 

 equal to the best average specimens known. Newtown Pippin, Baldwin, Jonathan, 

 and Westfield Seek-no-further, very good; Red Canada, Spitzenberg, and the others, 

 not quite equal to those preserved in the common way. 



This report was signed by Thomas Meehan, the well known editor of the 

 Gardeners' Monthly, as chairman of the special committee. 



II. DISPLAY OF SUMMER FRUIT. 



The exhibition of fruit raised for summer and fall use took place in the 

 Pomological Annex to Agricultural Hall. It was in this spacious building that 

 the various States, and the British Provinces were to meet in friendly rivalry to 

 display their varied fruit products. Although in late keeping apples, Michigan 

 had no rival in the spring, it was to be expected that in the display of fruit for 

 general purposes and for immediate consumption there Avould be many and 

 formidable rivals. California, with all its wealth of pears, plums, grapes, apri- 

 cots ; Missouri, with its summer and fall apples and its grapes ; Kansas, with its 

 display of large aj^ples ; Nebraska, with its extensive range of climate, exhibiting 

 apples in great beauty and perfection for present use ; Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, 

 Indiana, all witli a fair showing of apples and pears ; Massachusetts, with its 

 great Warren Wilder collection of 300 varieties of pears ; Connecticut, with its 

 pears and apples, and Canada, with its apples, pears, plums, grapes and small 

 fruits in great profusion and of excellent quality, were all on hand, and having 

 ample appropriations of government funds, were enabled to ship their 

 fruit by express, and consequently had it arrive in good time and in excellent 

 condition, while the Michigan Pomologists were without funds, and consequently 

 compelled to send their fruit by freight-trains, taking several weeks' time and 

 a large amount of "shunting," so that the more delicate fruits, such as peaches, 

 were spoiled before they reached Philadelphia. 



