FLORICULTURE. 



By JAMES DEAN, Bat Ridgb, SUpbkintbndent. 



In September, 1892, Mr. James Dean, of Bay Eidge, was appointed 

 superintendent of the State exliibit of floriculture. This, according^ to 

 the exposition classification, was to be arranged under the following 

 groups : 



Group 22 — Floriculture ; 



Group 24 — Seeds, seed raising, testing and distribution ; 



Group 25 — Arboriculture ; 



Group 2,6 — Appliances, methods, etc. 



It was only after much trouble and correspondence that space 

 enough was secured in which to make a display worthy of the State. 

 The next point to determine was from whom suitable exhibits could be 

 obtained. After a short trial it was found that in order to meet with 

 any degree of success, personal application was necessary. The super- 

 intendent, therefore, waited on a number of wealthy patrons of flori- 

 culture whom he knew to possess collections of special value. 

 Considerable difficulty was experienced in inducing these gentlemen to 

 lend collections which had required many years and considerable 

 expenditure of money to complete. They were under the impression 

 that their valuable plants would be seriously damaged, if not irretriev- 

 ably spoiled by transportation to and from Jackson Park. This objec- 

 tion was overcome, but the responsibility was felt to be none the less a 

 very grave one. In actual experience one of the greatest difficulties 

 encountered was the moving of the large specimen plants to the fair. 

 Many of the plants, weighing u]iwards of a ton, had to be handled, to 

 avoid injury, with the greatest care. Often the plants were obtained 

 from localities where sufficient help could not be had in loading them 

 on the cars. In many cases it was found necessary to put a plant 

 upwards of fifty feet high in a forty-foot car. The foliage and leaves 

 had to be bent very carefully to prevent injury. Fortunately in the 

 transportation of the plants to Chicago, not one was injured or a single 

 pot broken. 



In October, 1892, the superintendent selected four acres of ground 

 in front of the Government, Electricity, Horticultural and Agricultural 

 buildings, which he had carefully graded, prepared and sown with 

 special lawn mixtures, for level and sloping lawns. As a seed test these 

 lawns were a great success. In the springtime they were beautified by 

 specially designed flower beds, which were kept in masses of bloom all 

 during the fair. March and April were devoted to shipping the 

 exhibits, and toward the end of April there were over seven large car- 

 loads of exhibits in place, ready for the opening. To New York 

 belongs the honor of liaving her floricultural display ai-ranged in a 

 most artistic manner and on a scale which eclipsed that of any other 

 State or country on the opening day of the exposition. 



