HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITS AND WHAT THEY 



MEAN TO THE FRUIT INTERESTS OF THE 



STATE OF NEW YORK 



EXHIBIT OF NEW YORK FRUIT AT THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION 



EDWARD VAX ALSTYNE 

 Director of Farmers' Institutes 



The first world-wide exhibit of New 

 York's fruits was made at the Columbian 

 Exposition at Chicago in 1893. It occu- 

 pied 200,000 square feet in the Horticul- 

 tural Building. The exhibit was divided 

 into three parts Floriculture, Pomology 

 and Viticulture. In this connection we 

 are concerned with the two last. 



The pomological exhibit showed all the 

 fruit of the state, and was in charge of 

 Mr. Geo. T. Powell, of Ghent, Columbia 

 County, he being at that time Director of 



Farmers' Institutes. Nearly 3,000 square feet was occupied by 

 this exhibit. From the opening of the exposition until its close 

 the space was well filled with the various fruits of the state, a 

 considerable quantity having been put in cold storage the previous 

 fall. On May 11 there were before the judges 101 varieties of 

 apples and five of pears. From the ripening of the first straw- 

 berries there was a continual supply of fresh fruits direct from 

 the growers. For the first time a demonstration was made to the 

 world that, with the exception of citrus fruits, New York produced 

 more fruit than all the other states put together. 



The viticulture! exhibit was in charge of Mr. Geo. C. Snow 

 of Penn Yan, Yates County. This contained all the wine pro- 

 ducts of the grape, the fruit being shown with the pomological 

 exhibit. Beginning with grapes held in cold storage, there were 

 Catawbas, Dianas and Isabellas on the tables from May 1 to 

 November 1. The first of the crop of 1893 began to arrive August 

 15, being Champions from the vineyards of Mr. W. D. Barnes 

 of Middle Hope, Orange County. 



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