364 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



large number of themj were of extra size and color. As a 

 special report of this station will probably be m&de soon, no 

 further reference to it will appear here. 



There were eleven lots of apples shown in the ten variety 

 class, amongst whom the $30 pro rata premium was divided, 

 there being comparatively little difference in these exhibits. 

 All were exceptionally fine. 



Fourteen pecks of Wealthy were on exhibition, exactly the 

 same number that were shown last year. 



In the single plate class the amateurs exhibited 170 plates 

 of apples and the professionals 160 plates, showing a very equa- 

 ble division in these two classes. 



To summarize the above, including therein something over 

 400 plates of fruit that were used on the World's Fair booth in 

 decorating the exhibit and elsewhere, there were shown alto- 

 gether in the horticultural department, 2396 plates of apples. 

 Adding to this 460 plates of plums and 200 plates of grapes 

 and 500 plates of fruit shown in the Jewell Nursery Exhibit, 

 which have in the reports of previous years been included in 

 the sum total, brings the number of plates exhibited in the 

 horticultural department up to 3556, a few more than the ac- 

 count of either last year or of the year before shows. To m/ake 

 a complete statement of the amount of fruit shown in the hall 

 there should be added to this seventy plates in the Minneapolis 

 Market gardener's exhibit, sixty plates in the St. Paul garden- 

 er's exhibit and 475 in the various county exhibits, an unusually 

 large amount, indicating the increase of the fruit growing in- 

 dustrv throughout the state. These figures put together give 

 a total of 4161 plates of fruit on exhibition in the hall, besides 

 the fourteen pecks of Wealthy heretofore spoken of. 



Some changes were suggested by the exhibitors and others 

 as advisable to be made in the premium list of this department, 

 the most important of which is the doing away with the sweep- 

 stakes premiums so that exhibitors may in no case show any 

 fruits other than such as grown upon their own places. The 

 sweepstakes exhibits consist of collections of fruit, apples or 

 plums, as the case may be, gathered anywhere in the state. 

 In place of the sweepstakes might be substituted pro rata pre- 

 miums for the best fifteen varieties and best twenty varieties, 

 to be grown by the exhibitor. Suggestions along this line or 

 in any other direction looking to the improvement of our pre- 

 mium list are desired from all interested in this subject. 



