4R STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



it and when we finallj' got down to a space it was fifty -six feet long 

 and four feet wide. That was for the Maine exhibit of apples and 

 jellies and was in the south curtain. The table was not made here 

 in Maine which was indeed a mistake. While we desired to do so 

 at the time circumstances came around so that it was not, conse- 

 quently it had to be made after we went to Chicago. This delayed 

 us in getting upon our own space, I assure you. We had at the 

 opening an exhibit of Maine fruits although it was not on our own 

 space. At the time of my arrival they had been making flags in the 

 south curtain and were just clearing out the remains. Not a thing 

 was in readiness but a part of it was got ready even in lime for the 

 opening. I sa}' we had a displa}^ at the opening but not being on 

 our own space the executive commissioner thought best not to have 

 as large a display as we were to make, so we put on 150 plates of 

 apples of our best winter fruit and a few in jars. This was at the 

 opening of the Fair. We were the only New England State that had 

 an exhibit at that time, and were second to none of the others who 

 did exhibit in the south curtain. I say this in face of what has been 

 reported in relation to our fruit exhibit. I was there and know 

 what I am talking about. The most serious difficulty under which 

 we labored, nas, that Maine is not and never has been in the show 

 business. VV^e were undertaking work we knew nothing about, 

 which under an}' circumstances, is a difficult task. The Western 

 States, just the minute the Fair was talked of, began witii all the 

 means they could secure and all the energy and push thej' possessed 

 to prepaie for the Fair to make the best showing they could for 

 their state. All of these Western States are in the show business. 

 That is one of the great purposes of their lives to show up their 

 advantages. If you were there you realize ver^' fully how they 

 would show up these industries, especially the fruit growing busi- 

 ness. They not only talked to you but brought such positive proof 

 of the products of their soil that you were obliged to believe what 

 they said. It was a great time in their existence as a state to make 

 a;n impression upon the eastern people and bring more of them to 

 the West where they have been drifting for years but not such 

 large numbers now as in the past. If Maine had been in the show 

 business, we too, could have been foremost in showing what she can 

 produce upon her soil. I am not prepared to say it would have 

 been, the best thing for Maine to do, to put so much energy and 

 time into an exhibit as many of the Western States did, but the 



