30 MISSOliRI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



If this great exposition be kept up next year, we will have to do 

 something to make another display, and they will certainly pay up 

 these bills and premiums before they ask people to come again. 



One other matter with reference to thi?. and that is, that whatever 

 honor has been gained at th^e World's Fair by Missouri has been 

 through the efforts of our State society. For of all the displays in the 

 Government Building from all the" Slates in the Union, the one from 

 Missouri stands prominently at the hottom. Our Commissioner cer- 

 tainly has been out of his place in charge of the Missouri display. 

 Notwithstanding he had $7,700.00 in his hands, he has done absolutely 

 nothing in the way of displaying the agricultural products of Missouri. 

 We cannot help contrasting his opportunity, the amount of money at 

 his command, a disgrace to the State, and the poor miserable failure of 

 his display ; <vith our opportunity, our means, about -$500.00, out of our 

 own pockets, and the wonderful success of our exhibition, an honor to 

 our State. Not only was our success in the horticultural hall, but even 

 in the State display we put some three hundred plates of fruit, accord- 

 ing to our promise to Prof. Sanborn. 



We had an exhibition at one time of. nearly 2,000 plates of fruits 

 in both buildings, and left twelve barrels of apples in the cold storage 

 to keep up the display. And even these twelve barrels were wasted 

 by our Commissioner, as I am informed by our President. 



THE WOKK OF THE SOCIETY. 



Our society is taking the stand in the horticultural world, that I 

 have been working for two years to get. We now certainly command 

 the respect of our sister States and their societies. Day by day now 

 continually 1 receive words of encouragement, questions for informa- 

 tion, and calls for our reports. The horticultural papers of the country 

 are asking for them also, and asking for information from our State. 

 They begin to see that we are at work, and are making ourselves 

 known. Hundreds are asking about Missouri as a fruit State. 



After our winter meeting in December, I took the manuscript 

 of our report to the State Printer at Jefterson City, and he agreed to 

 have the the work complete by January 10, 1885. 



On the 5th of January I went with our display to New Orleans, 

 and did not return until the 1st February. Going to Jefferson City, I 

 found that not one page of the report had been started. After working 

 with them a day or two, 1 asked the assistance of the State Auditor, 

 and the matter was arranged, so that I received the books about April 

 1st. This work was a very provoking one. I had to go to Jefferson 

 City twice, and then go to the printers and remain for three weeks to 



