742 ISTew York State Fair 



Northern Spy apples, Bartlett pears, Elberta peaches, etc. Additional entries 

 mean a greater number of exhibitors, more interest, and better advertising 

 and attendance. 



Several new classes have been added to the premium list. The classes for 

 fruit packed in boxes were of the greatest importance in teaching the 

 orchardist and farmer of New York State how he can best meet the competi- 

 tion from Oregon and Washington, whose fruit we now see so beautifully 

 packed and displayed on all of our fruitstands. We had thirty exhibits 

 in this class at our last fair, and none in 1907. Further efforts will be made 

 to largely increase the exhibits and interest in this class. 



Another new and popular feature, which was not seen in 1907, was the 

 collection of fruit exhibited by the boys and girls of the state under six- 

 teen years of age. They are the farmers and fruit growers of the future, 

 and must be interested and instructed. With the exception of a few special 

 cli'.sses, the competition is now confined to New York State fruit growers. 

 It was found that we should not admit any competitive fruit from localities 

 south of us, as by reason of the season and climatic conditions they would 

 have an advantage Avhich it was impossible for the orchardists of New York 

 State to overcome, and it was felt that the premium benefits of the fair 

 should go to our own state people. This change has added greatly to the 

 popularity of the fruit department. The exhibits of nursery stock formed 

 anotlier new feature of the last fair, and aroused great interest and at- 

 tention among the patrons. Both orchardists and farmers are always anxious 

 to learn all they can in regard to the trees which they propose to plant, 

 and the nursery exhibits were always surrounded hx crowds of interested 

 people. 



Special attention has been paid to interesting county societies and local 

 granges and securing their attendance and exhibits, for it means an interest 

 on the part of every member of such a society. The number of these exhibits 

 has increased from three in 1907 to eight in 1910, an increase of 166 per 

 cent. Through the cooperation of the two large fruit societies of the state, 

 the Western New York Horticultural Society and the New York State Asso- 

 ciation of Fruit Growers, we have been able to secure magnificent exhibits of 

 the best products of the orchards of the state. The membership of these 

 societies runs into the thousands, and the fruit for exhibition is donated by 

 the individual members, evidencing not only an enthusiastic support of the 

 societies, but a keen interest in the success of the state fair. 



These exhibits have been in charge of committees headed by Secretary 

 John Hall and F. E. Rupert, of the Western New York Horticultiiral Society, 

 and Secretary E. C. Gillett and Mr. Schauber, of the New York Fruit 

 Growers' Association. The state fair offers these societies for the first and 

 second premiums $350 and $250, and there is a generous spirit of rivalry 

 between these two large organizations, not so much for the money value of 

 tlie ])rize, but for the honor of winning the highest premium offered by the 

 state fair. The honors have been quite evenly divided during recent years, 

 being usually decided by a few points in the scale. 



The following comparative statement shows the number of exhibitors and 

 exhibits of (1) the county and grange societies, (2) the leading commercial 

 varieties of fruit, (3) commercial packages, (4) nursery stock, in the years 

 1907 and 1910 and the percentage of increase. 



