43 ANNUAL REPORT. 



if we had done so we would have lost all the premiums. But we 

 kept the fruit in cold storage by the orders of Mr. Gibbs until it 

 was taken out and massed upon our tables. And when our two 

 hundred bushels of apples were taken out they were in just as fine 

 condition as when they came off the trees. That is the secyet of 

 the success and it is due to Mr. Gibbs. 



Now, Mr. Gibbs has spoken especially of the results of Minne- 

 sota's labors in the horticultural and dairy interests — but two of 

 the great industries represented there. I wish to say that by com- 

 mon consent Minnesota had the cleanest and really the finest ex- 

 hibit brought together there in New Orleans. It was the finest 

 exhibit on the floor, representing all the varied resources and in- 

 dustry of our State. We did not go there to make a grand show of 

 our manufactured goods; it was our resources that we wished to 

 exhibit. It was the evidences of progress that we brought there, 

 and we had the best in the Union by common consent; I think we 

 had twenty-one separate and distinct departments in our exhibit. 

 In all these we were able to take premiums of the first class where 

 they were offered, where brought into competition, and where we 

 did not enter for competition we had honorable mention. 



Mr. Gibbs has related the manner in which they decided who was 

 entitled to the grand sweeptakes and gold medal for the best butter 

 in the world. That means something to Minnesota. I have made 

 some investigation and I find that five years ago we didn't produce 

 in the State of Minnesota one-half of the butter consumed within 

 the borders of the State. At that time there were but three cream- 

 eries in the State; while in 1884 there were over one hundred cream- 

 eries in full operation in the State of Minnesota and we exported or 

 shipped last year thirty million pounds of butter. That shows the 

 rapid development of the dairy interest and it is becoming one of 

 the leading industries of Minnesota. As I said at St. Paul- last win- 

 ter we have a soil which is most fertile, a location which by nature 

 is fitted for stock raising and dairying, as well as being adapted to 

 the growth of wheat, or the cereals. The fact that in five years we 

 have been enabled to bring up the dairy interest from nothing as 

 you may say to export an amount of dairy products to come in com- 

 petition with the dairies of the world shows the progress that is 

 being made. 



There is another department in which Minnesota stood at the 

 head and that was the educational. We were brought into competi- 



