No. t;. DKPAltTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 243 



PENNSYLVANIA FRUIT AT EXPOSITION. 



A I'esuliitiou liuviiig been introduced in llie tSlate J-.egislaLure, 

 which has already passed the Senate, appropriatinj^' |3()(),()U0 to the 

 St. Louis Exposition, and providing for a Commission to take charge 

 of the Pennsylvania exhibits, steps should be taken at an early day 

 to have the fruit interests of the State properly represented. Al- 

 though tifteen mouths will elapse before the Exposition opens, the 

 arrangements for a fruit display should be made this year. Casts 

 and models in wax and plaster can be made of fruits produced in 

 1003, and space in cold storage houses should be secured in which 

 to keep specimens of next year's fruits. Some winter fruits can be 

 kept in storage for the Exposition. There should be an exhibit of 

 nuts of this year's production. (Commencing with strawberries, 

 the display of fruit could be continued until the close of the Expo- 

 sition. The best native fruits of Pennsylvania, especialh', should 

 be shown. Missouri will endeavor to surpass all other states. She 

 made a very creditable display at the Pan-American Exposition in 

 Buffalo in 1901. 



l*eiiusylvania was not represented in the fruit display at the 

 World's Fair in Chicago because of lack of funds. After prepara- 

 tions had been commenced, the promise of exhibits by the leading 

 fruit growers of the State obtained, arrangements for cold storage 

 made and designs for platforms and shelving secured, the State 

 Commission called a halt, as their total appropriation was running 

 low, and it was feared that the expense could not be met. It had 

 been intended to allot |2,00() for the fruit display, although at least 

 |3,000 should have been set apart for the purpose. Other depart- 

 ments, however, pressed for more money, notably mines and mining, 

 and it became evident that unless the Legislature would grant 

 the Pennsylvania Commission 160,000 in addition to the .$300,000 

 already voted there would have to be a curtailment of expenses. 

 A bill was introduced with that end in view, but it failed to carry. 

 Finally the fruit display Avas abandoned, although later on it was 

 thought that some money could be set apart for pomology. This 

 was in August, and there Avas no certainty as to the amount of 

 money that would be appropriated or whether, in fact, any could 

 be spared. It was then too late to do anything in the way of get- 

 ting up a creditable display, and, by the advice of leading horticul- 

 turists of the State, your humble servant, who had charge of the 

 arrangements, deemed it prudent to avoid incurring any further 

 liability. It is to be hoped that there will be no such balk in regard 

 to the St. Louis Exposition, and that the fruit interests of our 

 grand old Commonwealth will receive better consideration at the 

 hands of th(^ Comniissiou to be appointed. 



