18 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
October, 1916 
The 1916 State Fair 
There may have been a better 
Wisconsin State Fair sometime 
in the dim past but for thirty 
years there has been none to 
equal it. I am sure ol that 
because I have missed none of 
them in that time. 
In speaking of the fair I have 
in mind only the horticultural 
building or rather the squatty 
little brick dump that somebody 
wished on us two years ago; of 
that more later. 
Quite likely there were other 
things at the fair, poultry, cheese, 
pigs and maybe sheep and cattle 
but none of these count much 
compared with horticulture. 
Everybody, without exception 
visits the fruit and flower build- 
ing, most of them go to the 
grand stand and no doubt many 
get as far down “Main St.” as 
the cattle barns. 
We had the whole building to 
ourselves this year, 80x190 ft., 
and it was well filled, not a 
blank space anywhere. 
The apple exhibit was very 
light this year and if we have 
only an average crop next year 
an annex will surely be needed. 
That will answer for next year and 
then we will have the new $25,000 
building, if everybody boosts for 
it and it won’t need many more 
boosts like we had this year to 
convince even an “economy” 
legislature of our needs. 
So far as exhibits are con- 
cerned there was nothing new; 
the show of apples in pecks, 
barrels, boxes and on plates was 
not different from last year, the 
amateur and professional flower 
shows were just a little bigger 
than last year but not much 
better in quality. The county 
fruit exhibits and the W. S. H. S. 
show occupied the same floor 
space with fruit only fifty per 
cent as good as last year. 
Wherein then did the exhibit 
excel that of previous years? In 
arrangement, in order and sys- 
tem, in management. This is 
because we had a superintend- 
ent who applied all of his en- 
ergies and skill in management 
to the task in hand. 
To N. A. Rasmussen, super- 
intendent is due the highest 
praise for efficiency and for 
bringing order and system out 
of what has been merely chaos 
in past years. On this point all 
are agreed. 
We had the word of Commis- 
missioner Norgord before the 
fair, months before, that no 
fakirs or bunco men would be 
allowed in the building this 
year and none were there. All 
of that bunch moved down into 
the grand stand this year with 
Mr. Dady and his Indians. We 
had instead of the fountain pen 
salesman and the other crooks 
of like color, shrubs, dahlias, 
seeds, etc. It was the cleanest 
building both figuratively and 
literally on the grounds. 
Much space is given in this 
issue to the fair not so much for 
the benefit of those who did 
not go as for a matter of record. 
Some day some interprising per- 
son will write the history of 
horticulture in Wisconsin and 
will find the 1916 fair records 
readily available. 
FAKIRS AND BARKERS 
Conspicuous by their absence. 
The only “fair” privilege al- 
lowed in the building was a soft 
drink stand at each end of the 
building and the attendants 
never spoke above a whisper. 
THE APPLE STAND 
Apple exhibitors at the fair 
either in the premium class or 
otherwise owe thanks to the 
superintendent and A. K. Bas- 
sett, who jointly arranged to sell 
apples to apple hungry visitors. 
It has been heartbreaking in the 
past to stand guard over hun- 
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