188 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



been lield only for the same purpose as a circus travels around the country, 

 viz. : to take money from the people and gratify their curiosity? The exhibi- 

 bitions of the Michigan Horticultural Society should be held more as a mat- 

 ter of education than emulation ; but the masses consider the fairs generally 

 as shows, or exhibitions, where they pay their money and expect to see some- 

 thing extraordinary. 



The exhibition of plants and llowers was not very large, but exceedingly 

 fine. x\ll the plants were well grown, healthy, and very choice, although they 

 would not be appreciated by the public at large as well as some of the more 

 common kinds. And there is where the matter of education comes to hand; 

 tlie public at large can appreciate a poppy, marigold, snowball or lilac, much 

 more than they can a bouvardia, coleus, agave, palm, or hot-house exotic ; they 

 cannot, for their life, see why a little plant that they could almost carry away 

 in their pocket should cost fifty or sixty dollars ; and it is such people that we 

 have to gratify at all of our State, district, county and town fairs. Such 

 being the case it is not at all surprising that so small space should be allotted 

 to that which is only ornamental and can only be appreciated by the lovers of 

 the beautiful and exquisite. 



The building was the same as last year, but in the arrangement more space 

 was allotted to plants and flowers. But the shape of the building was not 

 adapted to the proper display of either pot-plants or cut flowers, and especially 

 of large single specimens or designs. 



PKOFESSIOXAL LIST — PLANTS IK POTS, ETC. 



The display was very large and fine in this division ; there being on display 

 many palms, ferns, cacti, dracenas, caladiums, and other hot-house plants, 

 which are as large and finely grown specimens as were ever exhibited at the 

 Society's fairs, except perhaps the collection exhibited at Jackson, by Mr. E. 

 Cooley, between whom and Mr. S. Taplin of Detroit, it would have been 

 very ditflcult for even experts to have decided as to the better of the two. Mr. 

 John Breitmeyer came second but carried off some first premiums. His col- 

 lection certainly was creditable and well grown. Although it did not contain 

 near as many rare and costly plants as Mr. Taplin' s, still it was much better 

 for commercial purposes. 



DIVISION" H, — PLANTS, AMATEUR LIST, 



was not as well represented, but many of the single specimens were good and 

 creditable to the exhibitors. I presume if more space had been allotted, more 

 plants would have been exhibited ; and what were in the hall could have been 

 shown to better advantage had there been more room. 



In Division V the exhibit was large, and some of the exhibitors had finely 

 grown flowers, but the general exhibit was not as good as it should have been. 

 The object of the society should be to keep the standard high and educate the 

 people to cultivate very large and perfect flowers, if they do not have so many ; 

 whereas, profusion now seems to be the desired end, instead of quality. 



DIVISION AV, — BOUQUETS AND DESIGNS, 



was well represented, especially in dried flowers, grasses, etc., but in fresh 

 flowers the display was rather meager, and those not of as high order as we 

 should have expected from a city of the commercial standing of Detroit. In 

 this division there was considerable competition between natural flowers and 

 artificials, which should be avoided in the future ; neither should dried flowers 



