518 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



at Indianapolis until the week immediately preceding the opening of the 

 World's Fair, when it could be shipped at car-load rates, to St. Louis. 

 There was procured in this way and by purchase about four hundri'il 

 bushels of apples suitable for the tables, less than one half the quantity 

 desired. The crop of both apples and pears was very scanty and of poor 

 quality throughout most of the State this year, which caused this shortage 

 in stored stoelc. The committee solicited bids at St. Louis for the con- 

 struction of the booths, tables, etc., but rejected them all on account of 

 their exorbitant prices, the lowest of which was fifteen hundred dollars. 

 The contract was let to an Irvington contractor, at a saving of nearly 

 one thousand dollars, whose work was conceded to be the most complete 

 and best finished in Horticultural Hall. Green china plates were made 

 especially for this fair, of which Indiana ordered 90 dozen, but received 

 only 45 dozen. 



Indiana M'as one among the three or four states that were ready for 

 the opening day, May 1. She received 100 per cent, on opening, and had 

 her tables full of apples and pears equal to the best there and superior 

 to most. 



The fruit had come out of cold storage in fine condition, some of it 

 even with a slight bloom on it, as if .iust picked from the trees. The 

 fruit was not rubbed at any time to brighten it up, but was put on the 

 tables with the "dew on." This was thought best by the committee and 

 was also in accordance with the rules of the L. P. E. A most excellent 

 display was kept on tlie tables which run down slightly through part of 

 August and September, when the cold storage fruit was about exhausted 

 and the new crop was not available. As soon as the new crop could be 

 dra^^^l on, the display assumed, in quality, a superlative degree, and in 

 quantity no inferior rank. Indiana showed a wide range of varieties of 

 well-grown apples, her exhibit having about two hundred varieties. She 

 made a reputation for well grown, well fiavored and highly colored apples 

 for commercial purposes. A few of the poorer quality of commei'cial 

 apples wore on tlie tables, but not enough to attract attention, while most 

 all llio display of some states were of these varieties. The display of 

 watermelons from Knox County, which were not classed in the Horticul- 

 tural Department, wore the largest and finest at the fair, and it is a pity 

 that they could not be judged for prizes. 



On account of the exorbitant charges for transportation, expressage 

 and privileges, which threatened to absorb all the appropriation for the 

 horticultural display, the commission could not, like other states, engage 

 a superintendent to stay at St. Louis and have charge of the exhibit all 

 the time, but concluded to let different horticulturists of the State take 

 charge at different times. Among those who had charge were Sylvester 

 Jolmson, W. B. Flick. J. C. Grossman, Gio. T. Campbell, Mr. Milllions, 

 Mrs. W. W. Stevens, John Barnett, Evan Davis, Amos Garretson, Chas. 



