Warren sheaf., 1901-10-03
MINNESOTA'S PRIDE.
Historic Fort Smelling is to be Repro
duced in Apples.

duced in Apples.
From the beginning of the Pan
American exposition, Minnesota has
displayed an enterprise that has put
to blush many OF her sister States,
says the Buffalo Daily Express. She
was early in the field with beautiful
building which contains an elaborate
educational exhibit, the largest
made by any state at the exposition.
The model OF the new $3,OOO,OOO
state capitol at St. Paul in the Dairy
building, scuiptured in butter, is the
wonder and admira ton of thousands
of visitors, and the Minnesota booths
and exhibits in the various buildings
all attract favorable attention..
Minnesota is now adding the crown
ing feature of all by reproducing in
fruit the original historic Fort Smell
ling, built in 1920, at the junction of
the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers
six miles above St. Paul.
There has been a popular Impress
ion OF the climate of Minnesota is so
severe as to preclude the production
of fruit, but that idea is now being
rapidly dispelled by result. Minnesota
has an active horticultural associa-
tlon which is not surpassed by any
state in the Union and thatstimulates
iruit production. At the annual
meeting few weeks ago it was shown
that over l 100000 bushels Of apples
were raised in Minnesota last year
and the quality Of the fruit is unsur-
passed anywhere. Plums, grapes and
many other fruits are raised in pro-
fusion and at no distant day
Minnesota will be famous as fruit
state as it now is as the Bread-and-
Butter State.
The Jewell Nursery at Lake City,
MIMI, started over 80 years ago, is
one OF the pioneers in the production
Of fruit. It now has about 600 acres
IN fruit and is supplying to the rest
If the state trees that has been prac-
-1ically tested and known to be adapt
I'd to the climate. The interprising
proprietor, S. NJ. Underwood, dis
played at the recentstate Fair at St.
Paul a reproduction OF the original
Fort Smelling in apples and this is
now being reproduced at the Pan
American exposition. John Nordine
who has been connected with the
nursery for number OF years, was
the designer of the piece. Mr.. Nor
line can be properly termed a horti-
cultural-architectural genius.
The floor space occupied is "a by
24feet and thefort rises to the heigh,
II Is feet. 1t stands on a platform
'aised one foot from the floor. the
whole space being surrounded by
neat railing. At the base there are
seven shelves in the form OF stairs
eight inches above the other. Back
# each shelf is a mirror which make
the pleasant illusion of doubling the
quality OF fruit displayed. The mir
ror at the top shelf are four in num-
Der, 20 inches wide and 10 feet long.
% inclined that they reflect the entire
display below and that, with the
other mirrors, increases the illusion
so that the display is seemingly
quadrupled.
Behind those upper mirrors are
large vases containg cut flowers, the
vases beingconcealed by mirrors and
th- flowers arising above them. The
mirrors are tastefully decorated with
vines.
The shelving which surrounds the
fort requires $40 feet OF lumber and
thefruit display thereon is magnif-
cent.
In the center of the shelving, al
ready described, is the reproduction
Of the original cylindrical Fort Smell |
ing. The fort is built around an
erect pivotal piece of timber upon
which it rests by braces the whole
ace OF the fort being covered with
apples. The circumference of the
ort is 20 feet, 3 inches, the diameter
feet and 8 inches and the height
rom the floor 1S feet. There are
our portfolios % by 26 inches from
which protrude cannon 5 feet long
made OF crabapples, two bushels OF
apples being used for each gun. A
Happy conceit is a white dove, typical