WINTER MEETING. 213 



The Exposition. 



Tiural World. 



This great house of entertainment Is fllled every week-day from early morning until 

 late In the evening with delighted throngs. Especially is tliis true of the afternoons and 

 evenings, and particularly of the evenings. We run Into and over the building of an after- 

 noon, and always find the vast auditorium full to repletion with thousands of people from 

 the country and equal thousands from the city. The exhibits tiiemselves are choice, ex- 

 quisite, complete; indeed, nothing could better Illustrate the masterful march of Xlne- 

 teenth century genius. In all that pertains to art, mechanics and education, to the upward 

 and onward advantage that man has attaliied over the elements and all other of his sur- 

 roundings, including the mines of wealth below him as well as all that Is of material im- 

 portance around and about him. It is a great school indeed, where knowledge of the 

 highest order awaits those who wish It, and so profusely is it distributed that visitors fairly 

 absorb It through every sense. 



The concert by Sousa's great band, four times a day, is one of the most attractive 

 cards; the performances by the Japanese and by the trapeze artists are marvelous, and to 

 those who have never seen them simply Incredible wlien narrated. That the Exposition 

 management entertained a pi'oposltion for the exhiljltion of their arts Is guarantee to 

 everybody that In their line these performers are not only above the average but at the top 

 of their profession. 



The fruit show grows in magnitude dally. It is the great lesson -teaching exhibit of 

 the Exposition to all who love the land, the farm-home and the retirement of life Involved 

 In the cultivation of the soil. Here Is exhibited the one view of the farmers' life evex up- 

 permost in the minds of those who would indulge in nature, and luxuriate In the labor of 

 courting her secrets and employing them for the best Interests of man. In this department 

 we see nature evolved In Its ultimate; beautiful, healthful, delicious; sought the world 

 over; and when the business genius of man is brouglit into requisition, is made to serve his 

 purpose In a worldly way better than wheat or corn, tobacco or cotton, or, indeed, any 

 other product of tlie soil. 



The result Is that we find hundreds of farmers from every point of the compass seek- 

 ing homes where the finest fruits are raised, where knowledge and skill are called Into re- 

 quisition, and where they can leave those who know no better to the production of the 

 cruder forms of vegetable life. 



Readers of tlae "Rural World," for hundreds of miles around, can afford (If they can 

 afford It) to make a trip to the city to see what is to be seen at the Exposition, and ought to 

 strain a point to get here somehow. 



St. Louis Post Dispatch. 



In the Horticultural department this morning, all the fruit of the early summer season 

 was taken off exhibit, and specimens of the autumn harvests of the orchards and vineyards 

 were put upon the shelves. More than 100 plates of fresh fruit were set out. It consists of 

 apples, pears and grapes. There are no peaches. There were none raised this year in the 

 State. That memorable blizzard of last May which left Its blighting swath of frost through 

 Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Northern Alabama, came when the peach 

 trees were In blossom. Kut the display of apples Is remarkably large and remarkably ex- 

 cellent. There are now 110 varieties on exhibition. Before the Exposition closes more than 

 200 varieties will have Ijeen exhibited. The various County Horticultural .societies con- 

 nected wltla the State Horticultural Society are sending In consignments of fruit every day, 

 so that tlie fruit on display may be kept constantly fresh. The jars of preserved fruit are 

 removed to make room for the fresh fruit as fast as It arrives. Most of the apples have 

 come from those rich counties lying In the bottona lauds along the Missouri river. The 

 grapes have come principally from the regions about Herman, St. Joseph and Morrison, 

 where vineyards are thick and wine is made in abundance. The pears are mostly from the 

 orchards about St. Louis, Springfield and Kansas City. 



This horticultural display Is In charge of L. A. Goodman. It attracts a deal of atten- 

 tion, especially from tlie visitors from the country, and from visitors from other less fa- 

 vored States who contemplate locating among the fruitful, fertile farm lands of Missouri. 

 The exhibit is littte smaller than that made by the State at the World's fair. There 15,000 

 plates were exhlljited In ail. Here, at least 10,000 plates will be exhibited. Missouri won 

 nineteen medals on fruit at Chicago, which was more than any other State received. 



