THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 36. OCTOBER, 1906. No. 10 



HORTICULTURE AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR, 



1906. 



A. W. LATHAM, SECY. 



The annual fair of the state of Minnesota, held during the 

 week of Sept. 3rd to 8th, 1906, was phenomenal in a number of 

 respects : 



1st. In the attendance the first day of the fair, which ex- 

 ceeded ninety thousand and much surpassed the ability of the 

 Twin City car system to take care of the crowd comfortably, 

 though there seemed to be plenty of room on the grounds and 

 in the large number of buildings and tents used for exhibition 

 purposes. 



2d. In having a week of cloudless sky, each day being one 

 of brilliant sunshine and kindly zephyr. 



3d. In the last two days of the fair being among the hot- 

 test days ever known in a Minnesota September, the thermom- 

 eter touching ninety degrees outside in the shade, and being 

 any amount hotter inside the buildings, depending on the fa- 

 cilities for keeping out the sunlight and securing ventilation. 

 In both of these respects Horticultural Hall might be improv- 

 ed, and surely will be before another year, as there is a large 

 amount of glass in this building for the admission of the sun's 

 rays and too few skylights are adjusted for ventilation. 



Financially the fair was a decided success, and the amount 

 cleared up therefrom will probably be as large as at any of its 

 predecessors. 



The exhibit in the horticultural department was in itself 

 phenomenal when the condition of the orchard crop in the 

 state is taken into consideration. Very few of the regular ex- 

 hibitors were in a position to show as many varieties as usual, 

 and in a number of cases the fruit crop was so light that they 

 declined to exhibit at all, but as there were some new exhibit- 



