STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 99 
University. 
The Secretary. I would here extend the invitation of the 
President of the University to the members of the society to visit 
our State Institution at their convenience and taste. 
Committee on Seedlings. 
Mr. Harris. Move that a standing committee on seedlings be 
appointed, whose duty it shall be to report at our annual meet- 
ings. Motion was seconded and carried. 
Pres. Grimes. How shall that committee be appointed ? 
The Secretary. Move that the committee of last year acting in 
that capacity be appointed. Motion was seconded and carried. 
Horticultural Exhibit at State Fair. 
The Secretary. 1 suggest we hear the report on the Horticul- 
tural Exhibit at the State Fair held last year, if there are no 
objections. 
Mr. Harris read the report, there being no objections, and the 
report was filed for publication. It was as follows: 
HORTICULTURE AT THE STATE FAIR, SEPT. Ist TO 81H, 1879. 
The horticulture exhibits at the State Fair held in St. Paul du'ing the first 
week in September, 1879, were very fine, but in some respects not equal to 
those of 1878. This was the result of a combination of causes. First, the 
time of holding the fair is about ten days too early to get the best effect 
from our apples and grapes. Grapes were pretty generally unripe and most 
of the apples not sufficiently colored up and matured to show their best 
points. From some peculiarities of the season apples were not generally as 
large and fair as the previous year, and many specimens were wormy, show- 
ing that the season was favorable for the ravages of the codling moth, and 
in some of our best and most extensive vineyards grapes were a very bad 
failure, probably the worst known in this State for many years. Again it 
was pretty generally understood that the fair was to be an agricultural one 
and some of our fruit growers became demoralized thinking that agriculture 
could not stand a ghost of a chance when brought into competition with 
the famous fast horses that were being arrayed against it in the neighbor- 
ing city of Minneapolis during the same week, and would not exhibit because 
their premiums could not be guaranteed, or because such things as fruits 
and flowers would not be appreciated under such circumstances. However, 
the exhibit was pronounced to be a good one by all who saw it, and it was 
a credit to our State, and particularly so to the members of the State Horti- 
cultural Society who have for many years been striving to give fruits and 
flowers a prominent place in our fairs. 
