In 1882. At Bismarck again, $100 as premium on "Best Collection of Fruits" was captured. Also in 1SS2, at Kansas City, the premium of $100 was taken on "Best Collection." These four exhibits were made in connection with the Missouri Valley Horticultural Society. At the American Pomological Society meetings the society was awarded a Wilder Medal as follows: At Cincinnati (Ragan), at Rochester (Evans), at Boston (Ragan), at Grand Rapids (Goodman), at Philadelphia (Goodman and Evans), all these occurring between 1876 and 1886. Meetings every two year. Again, at New Orleans in 1883, under the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, a display was made, and again in 1885. A car load of fruit was taken for exhibition to the Cotton Centennial. This collection was made entirely by State society, and shown by favor of the railroad company, and money paid out of our own pockets, which was afterwards refunded by the Legislature. As a result we secured in prizes: On 200 Varieties of Apples... On 100 Varieties of Apples... On 50 Varieties of Apples...... On Apples from Oldest Tree (82 years old). On Best New Apple........ 20 single premiums on 20 single plates.. Gold Medal and $200 . Silver Medal and 100 Silver Medal and 75 10 10 ......each, 5 At the St. Louis Fair, for three successive years, the society captured prizes of $100 each year on "Best Collection," and twelve other smaller amounts. In 1888. The society kept up an exhibition a the tSt. Louis Exposition for forty days and forty nights. At this exhibit we had 3,500 plates on the tables. No award was made for this, and only a letter from the Exposition was secured. At the close of the exhibit there were on the tables nearly 100 barrels of fruit. In 1893. At Chicago was made the greatest show ever attempted. For six months the tables were filled with the fresh fruits and the society received six awards, besides special mention as to the artistic display. Again the society stepped into the breach and did the whole of this great amount of work, preparing the year before all the jar exhibit and putting a car load of the finest specimens in cold storage in Chicago to draw from. The management of this exhibit was in the hands of President Evans, and he untiringly and devotedly gave his time and means to this work for nearly two years. In 1894. Again the society kept up its show at the St. Louis Exposition for forty days, and it became the means of bringing many fruit growers and buyers to our State, and interesting many others. In 1895. Again the society did this same work. No awards were made in either case, but the State received the same benefit as a result. These two exhibits cost a great deal of time and care, and a large lot of fruit from our fruit growers, freely donated. Again, and last, in 1898. The society took up the fruit show at Omaha. For five months there was never a day but that the tables were full of fresh fruits. Beginning with the strawberries and following with each fruit in season, there was made a special show of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, plums, peaches, pears, quinces, apples, and all the wild fruits of the woods were on the tables during their season. No one who has not had to do with this work can realize what it means to collect, keep up, care for, and arrange such an exhibit. Continuous work, persistent work, self-sacrificing work; time spent in collecting, in getting others to send in fruit; the worry and care of getting these on the tables in good condition; the naming the varieties and arranging them artistically; the giving proper credit and keeping record of all and every shipment and by whom made; the express and dray; and above all, the proper entry of these fruits gave us something to do, and we did the work when hundreds gave up as a useless job a show of fruits this year. Whether it was properly done the results will grandly show. There never was an exhibit made where so much good was accomplished, and never did we make an exhibit when it was such hard work to secure the fruits as wanted. Hundreds of our fruit men said, in answer to our appeals for fruit, "We have none and can get none." How many disheartening reports we had no one can know who had not the care. We were placed in a peculiar position. If the display failed, our society, and especially its officers, would get the blame, and we could not let it fail. The success is yours and the State's, the work was ours. Let not those who did not help find fault with the exhibit made under such difficult and discouraging circumstances. Every member of the Horticultural Committee did his full duty in a noble and self-sacrificing manner. On Mr. Atwood, Mr. Evans, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Murray, and your secretary did the work fall most heavily. The following is a list of premiums awarded: Fourteen gold medals, 13 silver medals, 31 bronze medals, 20 diplomas. Total, 78. AWARDS ON FRUITS. LIST OF MEDALS FOR MISSOURI FROM OMAHA EXPOSITION. Gold Medal. Exhibitor.-Post Office. Wording for engraving. State of Missouri, Westport, Continuous Display Fruits, 7890 plates. Missouri State Horticultural Society, Westport, Display of Fruits, 3456 plates. Missouri Agricultural College, Columbia, Collection Nuts in Jars. Jackson County Horticultural Society, Westport, Collection of Fruits, 2191 plates. Holt County Horticultural Society, Oregon, Collection of Fruits, 791 plates. Mountain Grove Horticultural Society, Mountain Grove, Collection of Fruits, 727 plates. Barry County Horticultural Society, Exeter, Collection of Fruits, 645 plates. A. Nelson, Lebanon, Collection of Fruits, 503 plates. J. C. Evans, Harlem, Evans Peach (New), 145 plates. Silver Medal. Missouri State Horticultural Society, Westport, Collection of Apples, New and Old. H. W. Jenkins, Boonville, Dewey Cling Peach. Henry Wallis, Wellston, Collection of Grapes. Henry Gugle, Mountain Grove, Collection of Fruits. Bronze Medal. Missouri State Horticultural Society, Westport, Collection of Grapes. Missouri Experiment Station, Columbia, Collection of Grapes. Union Fruit Company, Mountain Grove, Collection of Fruits. Nodaway County, Maryville, Collection of Fruits. Oregon County, Koshkonong, Collection of Peaches. Harvest Home Association, Burlington Junction, Collection of Pears and Apples. Boone County Horticultural Society, Columbia, Collection of Fruits. J. T. Snodgrass, West Plains, Collection of Fruits. Brandsville Fruit Company, Brandsville, Norton's Virginia Grape. Howard Fruit Farm, Willow Springs, Collection of Fruits. G. G. James, Exeter, Collection of Fruits. Louis Erb, Cedar Gap, Collection of Fruits. H. C. Fitch, Seligman, Collection of Fruits. H. C. Fitch, Seligman, Berries. Robert Waer, Springfield, Pears and Apples. |