HORTICULTURAL REPORT 



or THE 



Twenty-third Annual Fair of The American Institute. 



Among the events of the past year which have impressed the 

 public mind for good, a prominent place may be given to the 

 Twenty-third Annual Fair of the American Institute. This, as 

 a whole, was pronounced by competent judges to be the best yet 

 held, and the receipts prove it to have been the most largely 

 attended. This affords evidence of that steady advancement 

 which I have remarked upon in former reports, and cannot fail 

 to be a matter of deep gratification to all who take an interest in 

 the progress of American industry and skill. 



The Horticultural department, as usual, was well represented 

 by a most gratifying display of Agricultural Products, Fruits, 

 Vegetables, and Flowers. Among Agricultural ProductSjCorn and 

 Wheat were the articles chiefly remarkable for quantity and qual- 

 ity, samples from which were selected for exhibition at the Great 

 World's Fair in London. The display of corn was much larger 

 and finer than any that I have yet seen, and suffered no little 

 damage from pilferers. With the exception of an unusually fine 

 sample of Rye, the remaining Agricultural Products were much 

 the same as at our last Annual Fair, and require no further re- 

 mark. 



In the articles of Flour and Meal there was a very spirited com- 

 petition, and a much larger number of exhibiters than at any 

 preceding Fair. Several samples had been prepared with great 

 labor and care expressly for competition, and were of unsurpass- 



