GENERAL HISTORY. 63 



J&, Co. and was cared for by Captain A. Harriman, a portion of the exhibit 

 having come from the fish pens of George Clark, in Detroit river, below the 

 city. 



The joint annual fair of the State Aoricultural and Horticultural Societies 

 occurred at Jackson on September 18th to 22d, 1876. 



The number of entries in the horticultural department was eleven hun- 

 dred and seventy-eight. 



This, notwithstanding the great interest universally felt in the Centennial 

 exposition which attracted a very large attendance from Michigan, was a 

 superior exhibition in all its departments, and especially such in floriculture, 

 horticulture and pomology, although the hall devoted to i;hese exhibits was 

 far from satisfactory. 



Under the management of Professor Cook the plan of bringing together all 

 the entries in each class was put into practice, greatly to the convenience and 

 satisfaction of viewing committees. 



The display of plants and flowers was unusually extensive, varied and 

 excellent. 



President Lyon, of the State Pomological Society, having been appointed 

 one of the judges in pomology at the Centennial with reference to the dis- 

 play of northern pomological products to occur in September, was necessarily 

 absent from the State fair in the discharge of his duties as such. 



It seems probable that horticulture received little thought at the hands of 

 the early promoters of the Centennial, since the arrangements for this branch 

 of the undertaking clearly provided merely for flowers and plants, ignoring 

 pomology, and apparently considered the latter as a branch of agriculture and 

 devoted no space to it. The latter seems the more probable since, when the 

 necessity for space for the pomological exhibit arose, it was supplied by a 

 simple shed filled with tables as an annex m the rear of Agricultural Hall, 

 • quite away from all the usual thoroughfares and altogether divorced from all 

 horticultural surroundings. 



The distance and the peril of transporting small fruits during the warmer 

 part of the season were so great that it was early determined not to attempt 

 an exhibit of the small fruits proper but to commence with plums, peaches 

 and apples. 



Few exhibits, therefore, appeared from Michigan till near the time for the 

 general display of northern pomological products, which was to open on Sep- 

 tember 11th. 



The omission of small fruits relieved Mr. Winchester, leaving the work of 

 collection to be performed by Messrs. Ramsdell, Bidwell, Adams, Ilgenfritz 

 and Bradfield, who proved very etHcient, each in his special department. 



A fine collection of late summer and autumn apples from J. VV. Humphrey, 

 of Plymouth, (from the experimental orchards of T. T. Lyon) with plums 

 from J. G. Ramsdell, of Traverse City, and peaches from H. E. Bidwell, of 

 South Haven, arrived during the week, but the time fixed was quite 

 too early for Michigan winter apples, which were, therefore, conspicuous by 

 their absence, which became the occasion for disparaging criticism on the part 

 of some who had noticed the triumph of Michigan at the opening in May. 



Soon after the close of the week collections from Michigan began to arrive. 

 Mr. S. Hoppin appeared with a large and superior exhibit, also fine peaches, 

 pears and grapes from various exhibitors, and when the full exhibit was upon 

 the tables the, fall display stood quite as high in the estimation of both judges 

 and visitors as the spring exhibit had previously done. 



