THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 27. OCTOBER, 1899. No. 10. 



HORTICULTURE AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR, 

 SEPTEMBER, 1899. 



A. W. LATHAM, SEC'Y. 



The fortieth annual Minnesota State Fair proved to be the best 

 attended and most successful event of the kind that has yet taken 

 place in our state. Good weather and good times throughout the 

 state resulted in an attendance on a par with the extent and character 

 of the exhibits, which in all departments were of more than usual 

 excellence. As to Horticultural Hall, its appearance was a 

 source of satisfaction to the management and was evidently appre- 

 ciated by the visitors, Fdi the benefit of those who were unable to 

 attend this brief description has been prepared. 



The hall was decorated with green and white bunting, reaching 

 across from post to post, over the wide central space, the whole 

 length of the hall, relieving in a pleasing and restful way the bare, 

 open rafter space above, with its unpainted wood color. Festoons 

 of evergreen rope were suspended lengthwise of the hall between 

 the posts and coiled around the piping used in lighting the hall 

 with acetylene gas. Decorations of everg een boughs, contributed 

 by Mr, Underwood, were used upon the upper portion of the posts 

 and in making arches over the windows entirely around the hall. 

 The two longer sides of the hall, as usual, were banked up with a 

 grand display of florists' plants, with the exception of a space on 

 one side occupied by the seed exhibit of L. L. May & Co,, of St. 

 Paul, and on the other side a similar exhibit from Northrup, King 

 & Co., of Minneapolis, Both of these exhibits were interesting 

 and attracted much attention. At the south end of the hall the 

 horticultural society booth was decorated with evergreens and 

 native fruits, while at the opposite end the Jewell Nursery Co,, of 

 Lake City, had prepared a very attractive display with lofty cones 

 veneered with apples on either side and shelving in the center 

 covered with plates of apples and other fruits. Something over 

 twenty barrels of apples were used in this display. 



The fountain in the center of the hall was decorated with festoons 

 of evergreen wreathing, while stone work was placed in the basin to 

 furnish hiding places for the gold and silver fish which were sport- 

 ing through its waters. The three long tables running lengthwise 

 through the center of the hall were occupied, as usual, by displays 



