Can township and district fruit shows be made profitable?
Secretary Garfield said: This topic is worthy our serious consideration.
The same arguments that would establish farmers' clubs, granges, and the
like, apply directly to the exhibition of products for purposes of comparison
and instruction. A great many questions that are now asked at our quarterly
meetings would be considered silly by the parties asking them if several times
in the year they could, in their own locality, attend a show of fruits that are
raised in the vicinity. I find, too, that when discussions are accompanied by
samples, they are better flavored and conduce to better results. The same reason
that would lead Prof. Beal to place before his beginners in botany specimens
instead of books, is applicable to our own study of pomology. Descriptions
and methods are prosy things, when taken in the lump, without any spice of
illustration. We want the fruit itself to accompany the description, and the
fruit to illustrate the effect of a method of practice. Again, I have noticed
that there are lots of people, who are full of ideas, who say nothing until you place
an apple, an ear of corn, or a bunch of twigs in their hands. The specimens
bring out the experience, the facts that help in our future work. A neighborhood
fruit show is a very simple thing to handle. Let some leading spirit start
the matter, and it requires but little agitation to secure more than any one
could expect.

A township exhibition of fruits is a larger thing to handle, and my own
thought would be to have prizes for the best samples in the prominent varieties.
These prizes need not be money, but home-made or home-grown articles,
offered by individuals. It would be well to unite the fruit show with an exhibit
of some other things; for instance, some lady genius could offer a nice piece
of fancy work or a home-made picture for the best peck of Baldwin apples, and
in turn the man who has plenty of Baldwins could offer a barrel of them for the
best display of fancy work. You will see this plan is capable of being indefinitely
dilated. Let the day be used, most of it, for informal conversation and
comparison of articles; the latter part of the day for discussions set in a
programme which will bring. out the facts learned at the show. I am satisfied
this plan is practicable and prolific of good results, if only taken hold of
in the proper spirit.

Prof. Beal.—I heartily endorse the views of our secretary, and will, with
the permission of the president, give a little of our experience in this direction

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in Capitol Grange, located in this city. Oar first attempt in the way of an
exhibition was with corn. We were all surprised at the variety of the display,
and it was a foundation for the relation of valuable experience and the stimulus
to a most satisfactory discussion. We could not get through with it in one
evening and continued it over to another meeting, leaving the samples on
exhibition in the mean time. This was followed by an exhibition of apples,
which was also a success. I am satisfied that this plan involves a correct principle
upon which to base a system of instruction. I work upon this plan in
teaching botany to classes. I begin by having them gather a certain kind of
specimens, requiring them to observe all they can ; and scarcely a year goes by
but that some important fact is brought out that old observers have rarely
noticed. The exhibition of specimens always suggests valuable information,
and I favor this idea for clubs and societies organized for purposes of instruction.

Mr. Pearsall.—I am satisfied, too, that great benefit may be derived by
holding these shows and bringing the people together, old and young, to talk
over any matters suggested by the specimens shown. Many people can give
their experience with an apple in hand or a plate of fruit to handle over, who
could say nothing at all empty handed. Very many of us are like the boy in
the spelling class who missed the word because the button was off his coat that
he usually had hold of. One or two of these district fruit shows I have
attended with very much profit, and I can see that by proper management they
can be very beneficial.

Mr. Guild.—In our farmers' club of the Saginaw Valley Ave find that the
fruit exhibitions are of inestimable value in illustrating information that would
be of little value without the specimens.

Judge Lawton.—I am of the opinion that rightly managed these local exhibitions
of fruit might be made a fertile source of amusement and instruction.
You know at Paw Paw our people carried fruit together and thought they
selected well. They did not know the value of a stem or a blow in a specimen,
and did not consider the importance of some of these points in judging of
the value of a specimen. They received rather harsh treatment at the hands
of the committee, but it was good for them. They learned a valuable lesson.
At any exhibition of this sort the people go away with new ideas that are of
worth in their experience.

W. H. Harrison.—I believe in these fruit shows, and also in the formation
of local horticultural societies. They pave the way for such meetings as these,
and furnish the questions, the discussion of which will be most valuable at
these general meetings.
Adjourned until Thursday morning.