Winter Meeting. 241 



During the summer the Executive Committe has held three or four 

 meetings at St. Louis to so help order things, as they always do in all 

 exhibitions, that the greatest good would come to the different parts of 

 the State, and for the glory of the Horticultural Society and its members, 

 who have so faithfully stood by us in every item of this work. There 

 could not have been two years selected out of the last ten years when it 

 would have been so hard to make a large and complete selection of fine 

 fruit for exhibition purposes, and this exhibit caused an extra large 

 amount of work for everyone, and made more gray hairs and wrinkles 

 for your Secretary than any five years of other work. 



To the Society, to the Executive Committee, to its officers and 

 especially to its members, does the State owe its obligation, for, without 

 their united effort we would have failed in our grand display and our 

 just reward of 412 medals, which are ours. Eight grand prizes — one for 

 the large and complete exhibits of fruit ; one for the great beauty of its 

 installation ; one for the fine special educational features of the display ; 

 and others equally as important; 28 gold medals to counties and large 

 growers; 174 silver medals; 202 bronze medals. 



The space covered by our exhibit was 50 per cent more than any 

 other state and comprised over 10,000 square feet. This space was sur- 

 rounded by the most beautiful facade, decorated with the typical fruits 

 and flowers of Missouri in relief, by arches illustrative of bending 

 branches ; a beautiful pagoda, representing a summer house, this sur- 

 mounted by cornucopias with Cupids guarding the fruits and flowers. 

 Statues of Pomona and Flora, medallions of Missouri, the Great State 

 Seal over it all. The finest relief map of the State, representing all of 

 the best fruit lands. Tables, pyramids, glass shelving, mirrors, vases, 

 punch bowls, urns, all filled just as full as they could hold all the sum- 

 mer long with the fruits of the season, and with apples. Eight cases 

 (300 of all kinds) of large photographs of orchard and fruit scenes, 

 illustrating berry plantations, orchards, packing, shipping, etc., were a 

 feature that gave prominence to many parts of our State and its fruit 

 industry. 



Jars (2,400 of them) of all sizes, filled with fruits of the previous 

 season put up in liquid. This exhibit was the most complete one ever 

 attempted, comprising all the important fruits of the State in great 

 variety, of more than 430 varieties and 21 different kinds of fruit. This 

 exhibit was the greatest attraction all the year round, in spite of the 

 fact that there was so much fresh fruit on the tables. At the close of the 

 exhibition we had on the tables about 75 barrels of apples, about 7,500 

 plates, the largest exhibit ever made by any state at any of our large 



H— 16 



