1885.J 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



127 



grass over grounds not otherwise occupied. On a 

 slight elevation about half way between the Main 

 Building and the river front, at one end of an ave- 

 nue of these magnificent live oaks, they have 

 erected, perhaps, the largest Horticultural hall on 

 the continent. The building is 600 feet long and 

 194 feet wide, with a dome and tower 90 feet in 

 height. In the centre of this building beneath the 

 dome, is a large reservoir of water, with a jet of 

 water constantly in play. The whole structure of 

 the building is mainly of glass. The extension of 

 the building on each side of the dome is nearly 

 300 feet, the centres of which are filled with tables 

 for the display of fruits, and the sides for the dis- 

 play of plants. On the south-west side of the 

 building is an extensive greenhouse for the dis- 

 play of tropical shrubs and plants. 



FRUIT DISPLAY. 



Tables for display of fruit fill the entire center 

 of Horticultural Hall. Four rows, side by side, 

 seven to eight feet wide, go the whole length of 

 the Hall, amounting to over two thousand feet in 

 length. It is now about two months that these vast 

 tables have been crowded with the various fruit 

 displays. The question has been asked whether 

 the display has been equalled ? A gentleman who 

 has had some experience in such matters, Mr. Lyon 

 of Michigan, says it never has been equalled. 

 Early exhibits were mainly apples and pears from 

 the different states and territories. Seventeen 

 states contributing to the display, with small con- 

 tributions from Canada, England and France. 



The best exhibits were from Arkansas and 

 Missouri, each taking a first premium. The 

 marvel of all was to see the progress made in 

 fruit growing in the newer Western states and 

 territories, exhibiting displays ahead of many 

 older states. Mexico, Jamaica and British Hon- 

 duras, have fine displays of oranges, lemons, pine- 

 apples, cocoanuts, with also sugar cane. The 

 Mississippi State Horticultural Society makes a 

 truly fine display of preserved fruits — apples, pears, 

 quinces, and small fruits. Wm. Parry of New 

 Jersey, has also a fine display of preserved 

 Kieffer pears and small fruits. The early displays 

 of Northern fruits, remaining on exhibit from six 

 weeks to two months, having been much thinned 

 out by decay and other causes, have partly been re- 1 

 moved or condensed so as to make room for Flor- ' 

 Ida's display, — a truly wonderful one. The State 

 exhibit is in charge of Dr. G. W. Davis of Jack- 

 sonville. The exhibit is large and has many 

 attractions, but the greatest of these are two 

 private exhibits made by Major O. P. Rooks of 



Fruitland Park, Sumpter county ; and C. P. 

 Magruder of Rock Land Home, Indian River. 

 These two exhibits are much the same, and would 

 be hard to surpass. 



To particularize, in Magruder's exhibits are 

 Lemon Citrons weighing 11 lbs.; Rose Shaddocks, 

 7 lbs.; French Lemons, over 2 lbs. They claim 

 about 80 distinct varieties of oranges. Their 

 other fruits are pineapples, cocoanuts, guavas, &c. 

 The Florida exhibits taken together cover several 

 thousand plates. 



Although the plant portion of the show is not 

 what we had a right to expect it would be, the 

 Iruit display is all that could have been expected. 

 Indeed the plant display, unfortunately, very un- 

 fortunately, is the only lame point (and that is not 

 as lame as it might be) in the whole affair, cov- 

 ered as it is by about seventy acres of roofs. 



New Orleans, La. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Pennsylvania State Horticultural Asso- 

 ciation. — Judge Stitzel said he had the pleasure 

 of introducing the lecturer of the evening, Prof. 

 I Thomas Meehan, whose theme was " Fruits and 

 I Flowers in Connection with the Progress of Civili- 

 I zation." Starting with an anecdote and putting the 

 audience in the best of humor, the lecturer went on 

 to laud the high civilization of the nineteenth cen- 

 tury — a civilization which comes of a careful re- 

 gard for the good of others. The earlier civiliza- 

 tion was of a different sort. Now the chief aim 

 of civilization seems to be to promote the well- 

 being of others, and in no line of occupation is so 

 much contributed to this civilization as in that of 

 horticulture — a love for and cultivation of the 

 beautiful. A striking illustration of a beautiful 

 character of this kind was found in the life of the 

 late Charles Downing, whose death we so keenly 

 mourn to-day. He was the embodiment of all that 

 is good and noble in man, and his horticultural 

 pursuits undoubtedly had a moulding influence in 

 the formation of his character. A love of flowers 

 begets a love for humanity — and to love humanity 

 and to look to its highest, noblest, development, is 

 civilization. 



The quince may be instanced as an illustration 

 of how closely aUied the fruits are with the history 

 of man. The very name — or at least the Latin 

 name — of quince, shows where it originated. We 

 often hear of marmalade in connection with fruits, 

 and it really is a part of the history of the quince. 



