83 



Fairs like this are about to be held, it is certainly the further duty of 

 all thinking persons, who haye, or may haye, the abihty to do so, to 

 make as large a display as possible, for the benefit of those who yisit 

 such exhibitions, as a rare event in their work-a-day lives, and have 

 seldom or never been permitted to look upon such an accumulation of 

 Floral riches as Milwaukee might have shown, but did not show, on this 

 particular occasion. 



" And, yet, there were a few noted examples of public spirit, and indi- 

 vidual taste and liberaHty, seen in our department ; and these, too, in a 

 good part by citizens of Milwaukee. And, even one truly creditable 

 individual collection will do much towards redeemintr the sreneral barren- 

 ness, or bad taste of an entire exhibition. The fifty-five varieties of 

 healthy 'Greex-hocse Plants' shown by Mr. Messinger, is one example 

 of what Milwaukee can do — and one worthy of Milwaukee. 



" There was a little • Basket Boquet with handle,' arranged by Miss 



E. Ogden, of Milwaukee, a perfect gem in its way, and the happiest illus- 

 tration of good taste in the arrangement of flowers that your Committee 

 remember ever havinor seen in the broad Xorth-west. 



" The display of Dahlias, Paxsies, <fcc., belonging to Mr. B. P. Ga- 

 boon, of Kenosha, would have done no discredit to a great Floral exhi- 

 bition in any of the older States of the Union, if not of all Europe. 



" A collection of Terbexas, much damaged bv carriacre, shown by 



F. K. Phoenix, of Delavan, must have been choice and beautiful when 

 freshly gathered. It is, however, almost impossible to preserve delicate 

 cut flowers, that have to be transported a long distance by land carriage, 

 and especially over ordinary carriage roads ; hence, again, the necessity 

 of a spirited competition among the florists in the immediate vicinity of 

 Horticultural Exhibitions. 



" There were several Flower Baskets, Vases, Floral Designs, (ire, 

 (quite praise-worthy, as first efi"orts, and as showing a desire to perform 

 a duty) but we are sorry to say, not one of them sufficiently superior to 

 be entitled to particular notice, or according to the rules, are they 

 thought worthy of the Society's premium. Indeed, we fear, that in 

 three or four instances, where we have made an award, the premium 

 has been given to comparative, rather than positive excellence. The 

 great fault with nearly all the floral designs, and vases of flowers, was 

 the common one of crowding too many specimens together. Beauty 

 and grace being sacrificed to show and profusion, and the simplicity of 



