134 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE PAST YEAR. 



The past year has been one of great discouragement in many parts t 

 in fact, nearly an entire failure of the apple and peach crop over most 

 of the State. Such failures happen very seldom : in fact, another such 

 has not occurred since my coming to the State a quarter of a century 

 ago. Such ups and downs must come, and as we cannot help them,, 

 we can only press forward to the success which awaits all who work 

 and wait. 



The storm in May seemed to blast the foliage as well as the fruit,, 

 and it will take some time for all the trees to recover. It is simply 

 another argument in favor of not too old trees for our paying orchards. 

 If the trees are old and likely not to recover, the best plan is to let 

 them go and plant anew ; in fact, every orchardist should have a young 

 orchard coming along every three years, and he would have no entire 

 failure. 



THE world's fair. 



World's Fair matters demand our closest attention, if we are to- 

 get the best results during the year. Already some four hundred jars 

 of beautiful fruit are ready and one hundred and fifty barrels of apples 

 are in cold storage in Chicago for the opening. This is but a beginning 

 of what is needed. Next spring and summer as fast as small-fruits 

 ripen, they should be put into jars and sent at once to Chicago. Then, 

 as soon as any fruits ripen that will carry to Chicago in a fresh state,, 

 they should be expressed directly there, so that an exhibit of fresh 

 ripening fruits could be kept on the table all the time, and then in the 

 fall we shall expect to have the grandest collection of apples ever 

 shown by our State. A plan has been submitted to the Board for the 

 display to be made, and we expect that plan to be completed and ready 

 to show you here, so that any changes can be suggested. The beauti- 

 ful Horticultural building will be well filled with plants and flowers 

 and fruits, and we have a space 40x45 feet near the center of one of 

 the wings. It is very much smaller than we expected to have, but we 

 can make it look more attractive and keep it filled easier than if we 

 had more. I speak for our worthy President, for he is chief of this 

 department, in what I have said, and it is his aim, and that of the 

 Society behind him, to keep a display of fruits on hand during the 

 entire summer. This is Missouri's opportunity, and a grand exhibit 

 there will be worth more to Missouri than any other exhibit there (dare 

 I say it) f Very few states have any great amount of fruit yet ready 

 for the Fair, and Missouri must surely be far ahead of all of them in 

 this matter now as well as then. 



