THE PLEASURES OF GARDENING. 99 



tention turned to agricultural pursuits and have been inspired to 

 find their places in the more healthful life of the country instead 

 of aggravating further crowded city conditions. Neither will the 

 results of various influences that induce dwellers in crowded flats 

 to cultivate boxes or plant the poor courtyard be known or meas- 

 ured, but in not a few cases they have suggested the thought of the 

 freedom of suburban surroundings, where one could do real gar- 

 dening. In this way indirectly the humble gardening attempts have 

 been instrumental in home-making, with its important results in 

 character building for the whole family. 



MINNESOTA FRUIT EXHIBIT AT THE ST. LOUIS 

 EXPOSITION. 



(Read at the Annual Meeting, Dec. 4, 1903.) 



A. W. LATHAM, SUPT. 



At the request of the commission having in charge the exhibit 

 from this state to the exposition to be held at St. Louis next year, 

 the writer with considerable reluctance has undertaken to look af- 

 ter the exhibit of fruit to be made there at that time from Minne- 

 sota. The matter was canvassed and this decision arrived at as 

 early as May of this year (1903) and immediately steps were taken 

 to carry this conclusion into effect. 



In considering the situation it has been thought that an exhibit 

 something about the same dimensions as the one made at Chicago 

 ten years ago would be satisfactory, and while no definite conclu- 

 sions have yet been reached it is the present intention to prepare 

 an installation somewhat similar to the one used there and that will 

 require approximately "the same amount of fruit to carry it through 

 the season. 



The work that has already been done in connection with the ex- 

 hibit comprises the purchase of something over 200 glass jars, of 

 various sizes, made especially for exhibiting fruit, and the filling of 

 these jars with an assortment of Minnesota fruits. Something like 

 forty small jars were filled with strawberries. The fruit for this 

 purpose, as you know, was secured at the last summer meeting of 

 the society, the best fruits shown at that time being taken. A few 

 jars of other small fruits were secured, and also something like 

 twenty jars of plums, thirty jars of grapes, 100 jars of apples and 

 a few of peaches and pears, the exact figures not being conveniently 

 obtainable. Some of these jars are quite large and contain an as- 

 sortment of fruit. The apples were mainly secured at the time of 

 the state fair, being selected from the plates of fruit on exhibition 

 at that time. It has been the purpose to secure as far as possible 



