140 



ANNALS OF HORTICULTURE. 



matters would like to make, was not possible. For an exhibit 

 made up partly of plants of inferior merit, such an arrange- 

 ment is an advantageous one, for the defects can be easily con- 

 cealed; but an exhibit made up wholly of good specimens 

 appears at a great disadvantage. If that part of an exhibit 

 which was intended chiefly for decorative purposes had been 

 separated from the display of varieties, and these last had been 

 placed in nursery rows (or the herbaceous perennials in nar- 

 row beds), each standing as an individual and having an equal 

 chance for growth and development, and these rows near 

 enough to paths to enable an observer to read labels and make 

 a close examination, the collections would have been of much 

 greater educational value, more likely to show their true worth 

 and to have brought to the exhibitor an adequate return for 

 the expense of making the display. In these respects, a few 

 exhibits of fruit trees in the nursery, from France, were the 

 best arranged. 



" Classification. — The success of an exhibit, as a whole, 

 depends largely upon the skill displayed in its classification 

 and arrangement. Mere bigness means nothing. There may 

 be an immense amount of material to represent the industries 

 and arts, but it can be of little educational value if it is not 

 arranged in an intelligible manner, so that ' he who runs may 

 read.' Few visitors stop to hunt up a misplaced display, 

 neither do they spend their time to unravel the meaning of 

 one that is not well arranged, while one that is properly placed 

 and well displayed will leave an impression upon even a casual 

 observer's mind. So far as practicable it should be the pur- 

 pose and effort of those in charge, to so guide the exhibitors 

 in the make-up of their displays that they will not only serve 

 their individual interests, but will also contribute to make the 

 whole exhibition as complete as possible in every department. 



" The classification adopted for the horticultural and agri- 

 cultural departments of the World's Fair was not wholly satis- 

 factory, and it was undoubtedly responsible for some misun- 

 derstanding and conflict of interests which have been assigned 

 to other causes. Its arrangement permitted the entry of the 

 same product in both departments. For example, Agriculture : 

 < Group 24, Class 28. Potatoes, swe*et potatoes, yams, etc. 

 Class 29. Sugar beets, mangel wurzel. Class 30. Carrots, tur- 

 nips, beets, artichokes, etc' Horticulture : < Group 23, Class 

 173. Radicaceous and tuberous vegetables. Beets, turnips, 

 carrots, potatoes, radishes, etc' 



" Similar repetition and conflict were also evident in the 

 classes of closely allied groups in the same department. For 

 example, the question was presented in the assignment of 



