276 State Horticultural Society. 



Purchase of Glass Jars. 



Sometime during the summer I found an opportunity to purcliase 

 over 200 large glass jars (some of them filled with fruit) for exhibition 

 purposes. This collection cost the company who owned it over $500.00, 

 and, after some attempts, I bought them for $50.00 for the use of the So- 

 ciety. I have secured some boxes and will pack them, ready to be filled 

 with fruit this next summer for use at the St. Louis Exposition, when we 

 \vill be expected to take up the preparation of a fruit show for this, the 

 greatest of World's Fairs. 



The St. Louis Exposition. 



About the only important points I wish to call to your attention are 

 first, the classification. There is danger of the authorities putting the de- 

 partment of Horticulture ruider the Superintendent of Agriculture in- 

 stead of giving it a distinct head and standing of its own. Horticulture 

 has become such an important feature in our nation that we desire and 

 claim a separate department for its best exhibition, and above all we want 

 a thoroughly competent and worthy man to be the Superintendent of 

 Horticulture. We do not want our interests to be made a sub-head of 

 any other department, and especially not to be under the control of any 

 one not specially interested in our line of work. It would be well for this 

 Society at this meeting to present to the Fair authorities our wishes in this 

 matter by some strong resolutions in favor of Horticulture standing on 

 its own foundation and making its own display. A committee is needed 

 for this. 



The second point important for us to consider is the planing for our 

 State display. There should be money enough at our disposal to make 

 by far the greatest show ever attempted, and it means a lot of good, hard, 

 systematic work during this summer in the preparation of fruits, and, 

 during fall, a collection of the finest specimens grown in the State, to be 

 held for the next summer's use, before fruits begin to ripen. Then dur- 

 ing the time of the Fair we should be ready to keep up a show of fruits, 

 as they ripen, in a large way, so as to show as nearly as possible all the 

 varieties of fruits grown in Missouri as they ripen. 



To this end we should have a specified amount set aside for the use 

 of Horticulture in this display. While I have no doubt that this will be 

 properly done by those in authority, yet I have always found that the best 

 plan to get things done right, is to prepare a plan, ask for a share, 

 show the imj^ortance of our cause and submit it all, with arguments, to 

 the powers that be. 



