GENERAL HISTORY. 65 



and approval of the Centennial Board before the medal and diploma shall 

 issue. 



As will be at once discovered these regulations placed each exhibit strictly up- 

 on its own merits; and judges were expressly prohibited from instituting 

 comparisons between exhibits, but were required carefully to sfate the reasons 

 on which they based their recommendations. This system of making awards 

 of merits is claimed by the Centennial Commission as new, and is, by them, 

 designated as the American system. These awards were intended for exhibitors, 

 whether socities or individuals ; and in addition to such recommendation, the 

 Commissioners, by express resolution, authorized the issuing upon similar rec- 

 ommendation of diplomas, also to the societies or States under whose auspices 

 such collections should be placd on exhibition. 



The judges were also required in addition to the recommendations of medals 

 and diplomas, to prepare an elaborate report upon the exhibits coming under 

 their examination, characterizing such exhibits as they should deem meri- 

 torious, which report was intended for publication at the proper time ; and 

 they were still farther required, at the close of the exhibition, to submit a 

 general and final report through the Secrtary of the group, covering the entire 

 , field of their examinations. 



Careful and well considered action in each case was secured by the require- 

 ment that the reports and recommendations should each pass the ordeal of 

 an organization by the entire group of judges, and be subscribed to by each 

 member of the group. 



It will doubtless be observed that, under this system of awards, the mere 

 granting of a medal and diploma supplies no means of determining the merits 

 of such exhibit as compared with another similarly favored. In such cases 

 the special and final reports must be looked to, to furnish reliable data for 

 such comparison. These reports are expected to receive the fullest publicity, 

 through the press of this country as well as that of Europe ; besides becoming 

 part of the history of the exposition by appearing in the published volume of 

 its doings. We are also given to understand that it is the purpose of our 

 State Centennial Commission to issue a volume embodying notices of all 

 Michigan exhibits, with the names of the contributors, as a means of bring- 

 ing and keeping before the general public a knowledge of the extent and 

 value of the resources of the State. 



Tne forestry exhibit from this State was in charge of Professor W. J. 

 Beal, of the Agricultural College. " The catalogue covers about forty 

 pages of print, classified so as to show both the Latin and popular names, 

 description, locality from whence recived, and donor's name, of each 

 specimen. There were about twelve hundred specimens of forestry, compris- 

 ing trunks and cross-sections of trees, blocks, boards, natural curiosities 

 ingrowth, shrubs, seeds, etc." 



The annual meeting of the State Pomological Society was held at Coldwater, 

 on December 6th, 1876, upon the invitation of the Coldwater Horticultural 

 Club. 



Secretary Thompson being prevented from attending on account of severe 

 illness, C. W. Garfield was chosen Secretary jfjro tern. 



An address was first given by C. W. Garfield on " Methods of Exhibiting 

 Fruits and Flowers," considering the subject especially from the educational 

 standpoint, and containing many carefully considered suggestions. The after- 

 noon was consumed in the discussion of the subject. 



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