MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 73 
of them, and we can all live like sensible beings and in a manner that will 
elevate and enlighten us and bring us nearer to nature, and nature’s laws, 
and nature’s God. I cannot close this hasty address without a reference to 
our late State Fair, which was called a failure, and so it was, as far as dol- 
lars and cents were concerned, to all except those inside the ring, if I may 
be so allowed to speak. No doubt the Fair was set too late in the season, 
and I think all Horticulturists will agree with me, that in this State, Octo- 
ber is too late to have a successful State Fair as a general rule, but I must 
compliment the Society upon the display made last fall under such adverse 
circumstances and lateness of the season, and too much praise cannot be 
given to such men as John S. Harris and Bates & Son, W. E. Brimhall, 
Moulton & Co., and many others for their magnificent display of apples, and 
Rudolph Knaupheide, F. G. Gould, Eggleston and others for equally as fine a 
display of grapes, and to J. C. Fleischer, State Reform School, and others 
for display of flowers, and for which they deserve the especial thanks of 
this Society, considering the extreme weather and risk that they run of 
losing all on exhibition by frost; then the display of vegetables and other 
_ Horticultural products, including display of home grown seeds by Busch, 
Hollister & Co., was enormous and would compare favorably with those of 
older States ; and the display from our northern county of Mille Lacs by J. 
S. Brockelhurst, deserves especial mention, and I must say did credit to 
himself and county he represents, and how much would it have made the 
hearts of those men and women glad, and how much would it have en- 
couraged them to try again to do as well, or better, if they could have 
received the small premiums offered and so honestly earned, and not have 
been told by the President of the State Agricultural Society that we were 
exhibiting under the National Rules of the Trotting Association and the 
purses offered for fast horses and base ball must all be paid whether the 
Society paid expenses or not. 
Now, I for one would have been satisfied if the affairs had been prop- 
erly and economically managed, to say nothing more, and then, after paying 
all just and honest expenses, have divided the balance, whatever that amount 
might have been, pro rata, among those who were awarded premiums; and 
I think all reasonable persons would have been perfectly satisfied with such 
a result fairly made, even had it not have paid 10 cents on the dollar. Now 
is it not a proper time for us to commence a new deal, as the: boys say, and 
have a change of some kind in our fall exhibitions, as we begin on the new 
century of our common country? Can we not devise some plan for an ex- 
hibition or fair to be run by the horticultural, farming and mechanical and 
other interests of our State, that will turn special purses and pool selling 
and things of this kind, under National rales, out of the list, and each bear 
its share of the expense and receive each its share of the profits, if any there 
should be. I merely throw this out as a suggestion, hoping it may have the 
attention of this body, if it deserves any, and not without, as I have no ax to 
grind, and do not propose to help grind one for any one else; and believe 
me as ever devoted and willing to join hands in any and all plans that I can 
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