MINNESOTA FRUIT EXHIBIT AT WORLD 8 FAIR, FINAL REPORT. 45 



Partial lists of the contributors to this exhibit has been pub- 

 lished heretofore, and a list of the remainder is published in con- 

 nection with this report. These lists will be found by consulting 

 the index of the report of this society for 1904, as also a number 

 ^f other articles from our members who assisted at St. Louis in 

 connection with this exhibit. The thanks of the superintendent and 

 the commission are due to the large number of contributors to this 

 exhibit, and while it would be a pleasure to say that all the 

 fruit sent there was just what was needed for the purpose, it 

 would be very far from the truth. A large proportion of the con- 

 tributions made were quite unfit for exhibition purposes, either 

 caused by lack of judgment in the selection or in the packing, or 

 in the handling by the transportation companies, so that a great 

 deal of fruit sent was never put on exhibition. In some cases all 

 of the contribution had to be set aside; generally however, some- 

 thing could be selected for use. These were some of the difficulties 

 the management encountered in maintaining this display. How- 

 ever, in the reports referred to, no reference is made to these fail- 

 ures, as indeed there should be none, since all contributions were 

 made with the right motive, and the mistakes were the result of 

 inexperience in the work. 



In the list of awards made by the World's Fair board to in- 

 dividual contributors and to the exhibit as a whole, it will be found 

 that we have not failed in all particulars, there having been awarded 

 to exhibitors four gold medals, thirty-seven silver medals and forty- 

 one bronze medals, and tO' the state a Grand Prize, and to the Minne- 

 sota Commission a gold medal. 



A list, also published in this number, showing the quantity of 

 each kind of fruit on exhibit each day from July 22 to the close of 

 the fair, will be thought worth studying by those interested in the 

 details of the exhibit. 



The Minnesota Fruit Exhibit at the World's Fair has passed 

 into history. We have done what we could under the circum- 

 stances and with the comparatively small amount of money it was 

 thought best to spend upon this exhibit. If compared with other 

 state exhibits, where the amount of money expended is known, 

 Minnesota has, I believe, no reason to be dissatisfied with the re- 

 sult., Making such a display at so distant a point, where all the 

 fruit must go by express and the transportation charges alone 

 amounted to from $1.00 to $2.00 per bushel, it eats up money very 

 fast, and the strictest economy was necessary to hold this exhibit 

 within the limits of $5,000.00 desired by the commission. Those 

 who have been with the exhibit say that continual surprise was 



