18 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF EXECUTIVE BOARD. 



WYMAN ELLIOT, CHAIRMAN, MINNEAPOLIS. 



Members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: 



Ladies and Gentlemen: — The relative value of horticultural ex- 

 hibits as compared with agricultural exhibits is a subject con- 

 sidered by many persons among- the farming classes of very little 

 importance; that they are to a certain extent inter-dependent all 

 will admit; hence, the more need of a wider distribution of horticul- 

 tural knowledge among the rural masses. A state fair with an in- 

 efficiently conducted horticultural department, crippled for want of 

 proper 8pace,appliances and accommodations for making an attract- 

 ive and instructive exhibit of the horticultural products of the 

 state, would not be considered of very much credit to the manage- 

 ment under whose patronage and care it was conducted; or a state 

 fair with the horticultural department and all that pertains to it left 

 out would not be considered by the most intelligent persons very 

 much of a fair. It would be like the play of Hamlet with Ham- 

 let left out. ' 



When we consider the amount of thought and work that it re- 

 quires to put up a good, instructive horticultural exhibition, it seems 

 to be a waste of energy and material if there are not proper facili- 

 ties furnished with which to make a creditable display of the in- 

 creasing horticultural products. To those who have not had im- 

 mediate connection with the preparation of an exhibit in horti- 

 culture, it seems an easy task to gather from every section of the 

 state the best specimens produced; but to those who have hadthe 

 care and management of such an affair it takes on the proportions 

 of no small amount of work. It entails a large amount of detail, 

 which those who have never undertaken such an exhibit cannot be- 

 come familiar with at once. To particularize, take, for instance, the 

 exhibition of apples. Each exhibitor, if he would be successful, 

 must give great care to the growing and selecting of the very best 

 specimens to be obtained from his trees. If he would put up an 

 extremely fine exhibit, he must gather many more samples of a 

 single variety than he desires to use, as none but the very best will 

 answer the purpose. One poor specimen on a plate often loses him 

 the coveted prize. Therefore, no grower of fine fruit can afford to 

 make a good exhibit, expecting to spend six to ten days in prepara- 

 tion and attendance upon a fair, unless there is a reasonable pros- 

 pect of getting a sufficient remuneration for the labor and expense. 

 In order that the competition may be large, sharp and interesting, 

 good-sized premiums should be offered, or exhibitors will not make 

 the proper effort. We urge upon the board of managers of our 

 state fair the propriety of offering most liberal sweepstake pre- 

 miums for collections in the fruit and flower departments. In ad- 

 dition to this, there should be better facilities afforded to the horti- 

 cultural department, especially for flowers, for making creditable 

 exhibitions such as will stimulate enthusiasm among superin- 

 tendents and exhibitors. 



What we very much need upon our fair grounds is a building 

 supplied with all the modern appliances in which to hold attract- 



