THE EDITOR'S OUTLOOK. 



301 



TIME passes and there is 

 yet no commissioner of 



^""S-l-^r/r/or-'^ horticulture for the World's 

 Fair, and very few of the 

 states, apparently, are making an effort to collect 

 displays of horticultural products. Creditable ex- 

 hibits cannot be made with little or hasty effort, 

 and every horticultural community should begin at 

 once to discuss the means and extent of exhibiting 

 at Chicago. The proposed horticultural hall, to 

 cover a space 1,000 feet long by 50 feet wide, and 

 to cost about ^250,000, will accommodate an im- 

 mense exhibit, and the display must be of unusual 

 character to do it credit. California and Florida 

 are making great efforts, and a few northern states 

 are awakening. Michigan, under the leadership of 

 an energetic state horticultural society, is making 

 large demands upon the legislature. President Lyon 

 makes the following suggestions for preliminary 

 work on the Michigan exhibit : 



"Select model trees — peach, dwarf pear, and 

 if possible cherry and plum — of bearing age ; short- 

 en their roots prior to the present spring's growth 

 and leave them standing till next season, taking off 

 all fruit. In the spring of '92, lift and place in 

 suitable size tubs or boxes ; keep them in healthy 

 condition, but remove all fruit ; secure, by use of 

 liquid manures if needful, the free formation of 

 fruit buds, and in April or May, 1893, after cold 

 spring storms are past, plant on Exposition grounds, 

 on plot assigned for the purpose. Apply similar 

 rules to as many non- bearing fruit trees and other 

 of our hardy ornamental plants and trees, either in- 

 digenous or introduced, as funds and space will 

 warrant, and well grown models can be secured. 

 Begin this year the preparations for growing a full 

 and satisfactory set of long-keepers to be put aside 

 (if practicable in cold storage) to go upon the tables 

 at the opening of the Exposition, and to be followed 

 by small fruits as well as others, each in its season, 

 upon the plant or on the table, either or both, if 

 practicable. Encourage prospective exhibitors to 

 impress their names (or initials) upon colored speci- 

 mens, by shading the requisite portions from sun- 

 light while coloring. Maintain, by renewals when 

 needful, as full an exhibit as practicable of our 

 native as well as introduced wild flowers and fruits, 

 each in its season, with their botanical and local 

 names and the localities where obtained. The cor- 

 rect name should accompany all plant as well as 

 fruit exhibits. The preparation of an exhibit 

 of our indigenous and introduced woods should be 

 made, though, perhaps, this may be appropriately 



done by the Agricultural college, or by the State 

 Forestry association. The fruit interests of the 

 state should also be represented by a display of 

 both canned and desiccated exhibits, and the same 

 is also true of its vegetable garden products." 



Every state society should begin at once to awak- 

 en public enthusiasm and should ask for funds of 

 the legislatures. A well made exhibit will prove a 

 great advertisement to any region and will form an 

 essential feature in any estimate which may be 

 ultimately made of the extent and condition of our 

 horticulture. And it is due to horticulturists that 

 the 'World's Fair authorities should now act. 



The commissionership could have been filled a 

 few months ago without sectional jealousies if we 

 may judge from the unanimity with which the Col- 

 umbian Horticultural Association seconded the 

 name of Parker Earle. The only objection to the 

 nominee upon personal grounds is some feeling in 

 Florida due to real or supposed discrimination in 

 favor of California at the New Orleans Exposition. 

 The demand of any state or region to be given 

 the commissionership simply because of the ex- 

 tent of its horticultural interests is unfortunate, 

 not only because it represents an objectionable 

 method of appointment, but also because any man 

 elected upon a sectional basis is bound to meet 

 with sectional opposition. One state, it is said, has 

 gone so far as to demand the commissionership upon 

 penalty of withholding some of its exhibit ! The re- 

 presentative of California upon the Fair commission 

 is represented as demanding the commissionership 

 because that "state is the only one in the Union 

 that can furnish an exhibit of fresh fruits through 

 the whole period of the Exposition," and the " hor- 

 ticultural interests are as large as those of all the 

 other states together." These statements are very 

 wide of the mark, and they confirm us in the belief 

 that the nominee of the Columbian Association 

 should be chosen for the commissionership ; and we 

 are sure that California would have every facility for 

 making its best display. In many directions, the 

 horticultural interests of eastern states exceed those 

 of the Pacific, but that fact is no reason to our 

 mind why any one of them should demand the 

 commissioner. The success of the exhibition will 

 depend upon the man in charge, not upon his state 

 or region. We need a man upon whom the whole 

 country can unite, and who has had the opportunity 

 to prove his fitness for the place. Above all, sec- 

 tional jealousies should be avoided, and we think it 

 due to the country at large that neither California 

 nor Florida should have the commissionership. 



