WINTEE MEETING. 187 



that we might have fruits on the table by following the list there shown. From 

 early in May, when the strawberry begins in South Missouri, to the last of October, 

 when the last of the apples are put away (apples that will last untiJ berries come 

 again), we have had a complete succession of fruits — strawberries, raspberries, 

 apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, quinces, grapes and apples, in variety 

 80 as to till the entire time full. 



I cannot help mentioning one helper in this collection, because he has done so 

 much more than anyone else in the State— S. W. Gilbert, of Thayer, Oregon county, 

 Mo To him is due the honor of making the best display from any part of our 

 State, and Oregon county stands far ahead of any other portion of the State in the 

 large and collective display of berries, peaches and apples. May the county 

 authorities of his county give him the honor due him, and may his city accord to 

 him all the praise and glory the county has secured. 



There was no time during the whole of the peach season, nor apple season 

 either, but that Mr. Gilbert had on the tables a fine collection — the finest collection 

 of peaches and apples that our State had on exhibition. 



I do no violence to the other good men who have so nobly stood by this work , 

 and we accord to them the praise justly their due. 1 will make mention of each 

 by name in my report to the Society, and they will get just recognition for all they 

 have so nobly done. 



The 19 medals awarded us is honor enough for one year, but we like not the 

 medals because they have been given so promiscuously that they do not mean 

 what we want them to say. 



It is alike in all departments : every exhibitor gets a medal, and that medal 

 does not even say what it is given for ; if for a collection of apples, it does not say 

 five plates or 500 plates. You will see by this that the medals show very little 

 what was on exhibition. For instance, we have had on exhibition over 10,000 

 plates of apples during the six months, and we get a medal of highest award for a 

 collection of apples^ without mentioning the number of plates that collection con- 

 sisted of; while another state gets a medal of the same kind for a collection of apples, 

 when they had only 1500 plates during the whole six months. 



No one gets a medal with the word ' 'best " upon it, so that you will see there 

 was no competitive display at all. We are all given medals of Highest Award, and 1 

 suppose we will be satisfied, but no one gets best. 



Already, dear editor, I have drawn this out too long, and we earnestly invite 

 you to meet us at Fulton, where we can discuss more practical matters concerning 

 fruit-growing. 



All our fixtures and jar fruits have gone to the St. Louis Exposition, there to 

 be on exhibition for two years, according to the law of the land, but the Society 

 has not lost its intereft in them. L. A. Goodman, Secretary. 



AN INCIDENT. 



While at Alton, in company with Mr. S. W. Gilbert, we were asked by Circuit 

 Clerk Norman to step up into the court-room where the county court was in session . 

 After an introduction to the honorable court and attendants, Mr. Felix Norman 

 called the house to order and announced that the citizens of Alton desired him to 

 present to Mr. Gilbert a silk hat and a gold-top cane as a mark of their appreciation 

 of Mr. Gilbert's efforts at the World's Fair, whereby he had won first honors for 

 himself and for Oregon county fruit. 



Mr. Norman said : We desire this hat to cover the head that was wise enough 

 to discover the soil that could produce such fruit, «. mind so well trained as to know 



