8 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



A HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION HALL. 



President Lyon introduced the subject and tlie speaker, Mr. X. Chilson of Bat- 

 tle Creek, l)y remarking tluit the question had for more than a year been in the 

 hands of the executive committee, and several plans had at different times 

 been suirgested and none adojited because until now there had been no prom- 

 ise of the employment of a plan we might adopt, but now in case any new hall 

 is to be erected by the State Agricultural Society, it will probably be for us, 

 and it is necessary that we adopt some definite plan for use. 



Mr. ]S'. Chilson. — lam without a paper, an essay, or address, but I have a 

 ]-)lan to submit to you. Tliis subject has been on my mind more or less for 

 years, and I have concocted a good many plans, each one to be superseded by 

 another the result of more experience. For a number of years I have had to 

 do with the arranc^ins: of fruit in Pomoloa^ical llall at the State Fair, as well 

 as at county fairs, and as the result of this experience I give you the ground 

 ])lau which you see upon the wall. It is intended to represent a rectangular 

 building 140 feet in length and forty feet in breadth. I believe that a plain 

 straight building is not only more economical but more convenient an<l satis- 

 factory. I would jilace tlie fruit on flat tables through the middle of the hall, 

 giving nine feet for the people to pass on either side of tlie tables. I would 

 have two rows of these tables with two and one-half feet of space between for 

 committees to work witliout disturbance from the visitors. These tables should 

 be four feet broad. Next to the sides of the hall I have placed a line of tables 

 and a line of shelving, the whole to be used for plants and flowers, canned 

 fruit, dried fruit, etc., if desired, or in case of necessity the tables can be 

 employed for fresh fruits the same as the middle tables. In all this arrange- 

 ment I have discarded any bars which are usually employed ostensibly for the 

 protection of the fruit, but which it seems to me are entirely unnecessary and an 

 extravagance as far as space is concerned. 



Secretary Garfield. — How many plates will the center tables carry, basing 

 calculations upon the size of the plates that we now have on hand? 



Mr. Chilson.— Fully 5,000. 



Prof. Heal. — How many plates have been upon exhibition at former fairs? 



Mr. Chilson. — At Detroit last year we put up about 3,000, and a large num- 

 ber were not placed upon the shelves; at Jackson there were above 4,000 plates 

 at each exhibition, and at East Saginaw one year we had fully 5,000 plates 

 shown. 



Prof. Ik'al. — Would it not be wise to have places of entry to the space be- 

 tween the middle tables at intervals, for the convenience of committeemen and 

 exhibitors? 



Mr. Chilson. — Yes. I should have indicated that upon the chart. 



E. F. Guild, East vSaginaw. — I can see a decided objection to tlie plan of 

 doing away witli all bars of protection. Tho- fruit will be handled and mis- 

 placed, and stolen in the midst of the great crowd tiiat gathers on the main 

 days of the fair. 



Mr. Ciiilsoii. — Tiieoretically this may seem an objection, but practically 

 wherever the lAan has been tried with proper restrictions it has been found to 

 be a success. 



President Lyon. — Our best example of this was at the Centennial, where the 

 fruit was shown upon flat tables with no bars, and I was assured that no diffi- 

 culty arose from disturbance of the fruit. 



