Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-30
PREPARATIONS FOR PEACH DAY.
Nebraska Exhibitors Making Ready
for the Great Event in Their Line

thS IN Line.
There is considerable stir around the Hor-
ticultural building over the Peach day pros
poets. 1t is the intention to have the feast
on September ?, at which time numerous
baskets OF peaches will be given away to
parties who visit the building. 1t was the
original intention TO have all OF the states
join, but there are some indications that
Nebraska will be the only state that will
take part in the festivities. Should this
be the case the name will be changed and
instead Of the occasion being Peach day
it will be designated as Nebraska Peach
day.
The Illinois people say they have plenty
OF peaches at home, but owing to the dis
tance they cannot get them here in good
condition. The same excuse for not coming
TO the center is made by many of the other
state representatives, which leaves Nebraska
! the only state that has peaches 10 give
away and then have an abundance on hand
1t was the original intention of Superin-
| tendent Youngers OF the Nebraska exhibit
to secure 1000 baskets Of peaches for free
distribution, but owing to the changed con-
| dition OF affairs he has now laid his plans
| and II the other states stay out he will have
! 5000 baskets on hand. AT this time he is
| in correspondence with the largest peach
| growers in the state and as far as returns
| have been received all OF them express
| determination to help furnish the evidence
TO prove 10 the world that Nebraska is the
greatest of peach growing states.
Los Angeles county, California has added
some novelties 10 its exhibit, one Of which
is an article known as ST. Johns bread
| fruit, a tree that is being cultivated 70 some
| extent. The tree grows TO a height of
thirty feet and begins bearing the fruit
] when has reached the
years. While the product is called fruit
/ It does not resemble any fruit in any par
| ticular. Instead OF being a fruit it is a
I pod that closely resembles the honey locust
/ Inside each pod there are number Of little
beans, which, when dry. are as hard as
stone. These are ground into meal and
| when mixed into batter and cooked the cakes
| taste very much like a combination Of ba-
| mana, muskmelon and ripe pawpaw. As yet
! there is no market for the product, it being
raised principally as fad and a curiosity.
Another novelty that is being shown by
! Superintendent Wilson OF the exhibit is the
mango, a tropical fruit. The mango is
| about the size Of a Burbank plum and is
a bright green on the outside. When ripe
the fruit is as yellow as custard and tastes
very much like il. The fruit is so soft and
delicate that IL is next to impossible TO ship
il out OF the country and for this reason
il is seldom seen outside OF the immediate
| section where 1t is raised.
California ounces are now coming in in
large numbers and are unusually large this
year. While but few OF them are ripe al
this time, they make a good showing and
add variety to the exhibit.
In addition 20 other fruit, Superintendent
Wilson has received a considerable ship
ment Of apples, including the Western
Beauty, Pennsylvania Red Streak and Alex
anders. They are all very large and finely
colored.
Hawaii is not the only section OF the
world that is showing coffee. Superiu-
tendent Wilson has received several OF the
plants, sent on by Jacob Miller a fruit
grover who devotes a great deal OF his time
to experimenting with tropical products.
He is firmly convinced that most il not all,
Of the products c = be raised in the coun-
try around Los Angeles. The coffee has
a large berry and rich color. AS yet no
lie Zee has been shipped from southern Cali
tornia, but the people in charge Of the ex-