The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-20
MINNESOTA FIRST.
The Bread and Butter State Leads in
Enterprise-..Ft. Smelling to ee Re.
produced in Apples.
Roosevelt

Buffalo Express:
From the beginning of the Pan
American exposition, Minnesota has
displayed an enterprise that has put to
blush many of her sister states. 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 So, 900, 900 state CAPT
toll at st. Paul in the Dairy building,
scuIptured in butter, is the wonder
and admiration of thousands of visi-
tors, and the Minnesota booths and
ezhi bits 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 Shelf
ing, built in 1920, at the junction Of
the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers,
six miles above st. Paul.
An Express representative met Fl. P.
Hall. one of the Minnesota beard of
managers. yesterday and obtained a
description of the novel feature, which
| is now being installed in the horicul-
tural building.
There has been popular impression
that the climate of Minnesota is SO Sc
we're as to preclude the production of
fruit, but that idea is now being ra-
pidly dispelled by results Minnesota
has an active horticultural association
| which is not surpassed by any state in
the Union and that stimulates fruit
production. At the annual meeting a
few weeks ago it was shown that over
1, 900, 900 bushels Of apples were raised
in Minnesota last year and the quality
of the fruit is unsurpassed anywhere.
PlGms, grapes and many other fruits
are raised in profusion, and at no dis
| tans day Minnesota will be, as famous
as fruit state as it nowi is as the
Bread and Butter state.
The Jewstt nursery at Lake City,
Minnesota started over 80 years ago.,
is one of the pioneers in the produc-
tion of fruit. 1t now has about 800
| acres in fruit and is supplying to the
rest Of the state trees which have been
practically tested and known to be
| adapted to the climate. The enter
| prising proprietor; J. NJ. Underwood
displayed at the recent state fair at
st. Paul reproduction of the original
Fort Smelling in apples, and this is
now being reproduced at the Pan
American exposition. John NordEne,
who has been, connected with the nur-
sery for many years, was 6he designer
! of the piece Mr. Nordine. can pro-
perly be termed 8 horticultural archi-
tectural genius. He arrived in Buffalo
yesterday, and is now actively at work
| in reproducing the novel structure.
The floor space occupied is 24x24
feet, and the fort rises to a heightof Is
feet. 1t stands upon platform raised
one foot from the floor, the whole
space being rounded by neat railing.
At tie base there are seven shelves in
the form Of stairs eight inches wide,
each shelf stair rising six inches above
| the other. Back of each shelf is a mir
ror which makes the pleasant illusion
of doubling the quantity of fruit dis
played. The mirrors at the top shelf
are four in number; 30 inches wide
and 10 feet long, so inclined chat they
redeet the entire display below and
that. with the other mirrors, increases
the illusion so that the display is
seemingly quadrupled.
| Behind these upper mirrors are large
vases containing Bowers, the vases
being concealed by mirrors and the
flowers rising above them. The. mir
rors are tsstefully decorated with
vines.
The shelving which Surrounds the
fort requires $40 feet of lumber and the
fruit display thereon is magnificent.
In the center of the shelving, already
described, is the reproduction of the
original cylindrical Fort Smelling. The
fort is built around an erect pivotal
piece of timber upon which it rests by
braces, sthe..whole face of the fort be.
ing covered with apples. The cir
conference of the fort is 80 feet and
inches, the diameter feet and 8 inches
and the .heighth- -froms-theTT floor isis
feet. ~ There are four portfolios s2--..by
96---inches, from. which protrude--can
nor" g.. feet long1smadez Of crabapples,
two bushels of apples being used fol
each gun. @ A happy. conceitTI is 6
white dove, typical - o. peace, 'perched
at the -.mouth..of each cannon. Between
the respective portfolios are, three
loopholes for musketry, trimmed with
mounted ash berries. @ s-1 '-1--- 5--'
While the face of the fort is largely
covered with Wealthy apples. variety
for (which, Minnesota...is justly famous,
there are over fifty varieties of apples
displayed in the entire exhibit. - -ls--
| At the top of =. the fort there is a
cornice or frieze made of crabapples,
several bushels being used = for =. that