secretary's budget. 453 



and what they do is not only well but intelligently and effectively 

 done. They have now shown at the Ne\^ Orleans Exposition, at the 

 meeting of the American Pomological Society at Grand Rapids, Mich- 

 igan, and at the St. Louis Fair ; and at each have won first honors. In 

 mentioning these places we do not lose sight of other exhibitions they 

 have made, or other honors won ; but a society capable of winning at 

 these can win anywhere, if they have but the energy and the intelli- 

 gence to enter the list. 



The exhibit made last week at the fair was a grand one, but it told 

 only a part of the story. It only exhibited what could be done, and, 

 too, what will be done within a very few years if these gentlemen are 

 at the helm ; for the merits of Missouri as a fruit growing State are 

 only partly known, and its capacity but fairly developed. Presently 

 we shall have more county societies, all acting in concert, gathering' 

 together the best of their products, and first exhibiting at the place of 

 their growth for home encouragement and then in one grand central 

 aggregation in St. Louis at the great fair to be seen and known of all 

 men. 



Fifty county societies, properly oflScered, could gather together the 

 best products of their respective counties and show them every year at 

 their own fairs and make such a display as would astonish the people 

 themselves ; then if the best of those fifty exhibits could be all sent to 

 St. Louis and each shown by itself, as Bates county, Jasper county, 

 Platte county, Jackson county fruit, it would inform the people of the 

 world more and better of the culture and progress of its people and 

 their horticultural and agricultural capacities than any other one 

 thing. Such an aggregation of fruit from this one State would fill the 

 largest hall on the fair grounds and make a show the like ot which had 

 never been seen before ; and we have no doubt the fair association 

 would cheerfully accord the space. 



As it was, the State Horticultural Society made an excellent show 

 with 172 varieties of apples, Si of paars, 20 of grapes, 5 of quinces and 3 

 of peaches, besides a large collection merely for display occupying al- 

 together 400 plates. In the exhibit we found 15 varieties of new seed- 

 ling apples, some of which were very promising, but of which more 

 hereafter. Mr. G. H. Shepherd, of La Monte, Mo., made the next 

 largest and best show, consisting of nearly 300 plates. His was the 

 finest exhibit made by one individual at the department. Michigan, 

 •Iowa and Arkansas were also represented, the latter being especially 

 fine. These with other and smaller individual displays made alto- 

 gether a very fine show which attracted attention every hour of the 

 day and every day of the fair. It was one of the best made in recent 

 years. — Cohnan^s Rural Woi'ld. 



