5^te ^iv. 



THE HORTICULTURAL EXHIBIT AT THE MINNESOTA 

 STATE FAIR, 1894. 



The fruit and flower exhibit at this fair was probably the larg'cst 

 of its Itiud ever made on the grounds. The exhibit of fruit nuin- 

 bered somewhere near 2,000 plates and comprised the usual long- list 

 of varieties. This was an extraordinary^ showing- for a year which 

 was decidedly off with Minnesota horticixlturists. The booth which 

 was used for our exhibit at the World's Fair, an engraving of which 

 is shown in the September HORTICULTURIST, was well filled with 

 apples, grapes and canned fruits, and graced with many handsome 

 flowers and decorative plants, which were generouslj- contributed 

 for that purpose by the florists exhibiting at the fair. 



About 100 glass jars of fruit were shown, being the same that were 

 on exhibition at tlie Columbian Exj^osition. They were in excellent 

 condition, considering that they had been put up now two j^ears. 

 The refrigerator cases, intended to preserve and exhibit soft fruits 

 in, were used on this occasion for the exhibit of bread and cake. 

 They proved scarcely large enough for the extraordinary showing' 

 in this department. This exhibit of domestic stores attracted un- 

 usual and merited attention. 



The three long tables in the center of the hall, with seven or nine 

 shelves each, were filled with plates of fruit, with the exception of 

 about one-third of the center table, which contained the ladies' ex- 

 hibit of jellies and other pantry stores. 



The show of grapes was of as good a quality as has ever been ex- 

 fiibited here, and probably much larger in quantity. A few plates 

 of grapes of extraordinary size were shown, one bunch of Concord 

 in the exhibit of Mr. H. L. Crane weighing the unusual figure of 

 nineteen ounces. 



While the apples were not as large or as highly colored as usual, 

 and in this respect showed the effects of the peculiar season, the list 

 of varieties was of about the usual size. The exhibit of plums was 

 an extraordinary one, the best we recollect ever seeing in the hall. 

 Considering the dryness of the season, much of the fruit was of re- 

 markable size. Some very fine specimens of the Hawkeye attracted 

 much attention, and also one plate of a Russian varietj^ exhibited 

 by Prof. Green was very noticeable. 



The larger exhibitors of our society, Messrs. R. C. Keel, Wm. Som- 

 erville and J. S. Harris, were out in full force as usual. Others 

 whose exhibits and presence there during most of the week added 

 inuch to the interest of the occasion were Messrs. K. H. S. Dartt, 

 Geo. Miller, (). M. Lord, Clarence Wedge, vS. D. Richardson, Ditus 

 Day, K. G. Gould, Dewain Cook, and a goodly number of lesser ex- 

 hibitors who helped to swell the total result. Many excellent exhib- 

 its came from parties who were unable to be present. One of these 

 was a notable exhibit of apples from Mr. Sidney Corp, of Hammond. 

 Mr. J. S. Harris carried off the honors in the shape of first prize on 

 collection of apples by a professional. 



