The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-12-02
Special Correspondence Wilmington Star.

Special Correspondence Wilmington Star.
Omaha, Neb., Nov. 21.-The Ma
tiOnal Horticultural Congress tprmi-
mated its second session, lasting one
week, at Council Bluffs, Ia.. opposite
this city, last night. 1t was success
full financially and credifable alike to
the enterprising little Iowa city and
the exhibitors whose efforts were
chiefly instrumental i'm achieving
such gratifying results. Premiums
and prizes, aggregating $35, 900 in
value were awarded to the successful
exhibitors, among which were several
solid silver loving cups, some of
which are of the value of $500 each.
What interested me especially, was
the displaJ made by the State of
North Carolina, the entry being in
the name of the State Horticultural
Society of North Carolina, under the
supervision of W. N. Hutt, of the de-
partment of agriculture of your
State, and his assistant, Stewart B.
Shaw. The Bee. OF this city, an enter
prising publication, and admittedly
the most influential journal in this
section of the country, which mani
tests its interest in exhibitions OF
this kind by Offering annually a sill
yer trophy of value as a special pre-
MUM, pays North Carolina the COM
pliment to say that her exhibit twas
conceded to be one of the best at the
exposition"
And / think that opinion was gener-
ally entertained by visitors. Forty
two States We're represented by ex-
hibits - amoug which were Ore
gon. California, Idaho and Colorado,
which make Il special feature of fruit
exhibits at all expositions of this
sort all over the country, and spare
neither time nor money to make their
exhibits attractive to the eye of the
judges. Much of their fruit is polish
I'd until it shines like mirror, and.
with it's blush, puts the rose out OF
cOnceit. Some cunning of the grow
ers has produced such a variety OF
hues in the skin of some of the fruit
that it looks like asample of excellent
hand painting. That makes it look
pretty but it does not improve its
taste. It was against such condi-
,ions as these that North Carolina
had to contend and yet she tri
umphed gloriously.
Her display contained an exhibit o1
81 varieties of apples, seven OF pears
three Of Japanese persimmons, and
ounces aud pomegranates; twenty
six varieties of nuts, of which II were
pecans, three peanuts, several sorts o
English and native walnuts; butter
nuts and chestnuts, some of which
looked as big and forbidding to the
touch as u baby hedge hog.
This exhibit won the sweepstakes
prize. Butter nuts, hickory nuts
chestnuts and peanuts took first
prize in addition. And, to cap the
climax, the North Carolina pecaI
was awarded first prize, notwith
standing the fact that on a table
nearby Texas had layout of pc
cans that an ordinary observer woul6
say could not be excelled, for size al
least, anywhere. This appeals TO M
with peculiar force and pleasure, fo1
l well remember how my brother
now at rest after life of devotion tt
his adoped State, labored persistently
for years on the editorial page of th'
Morning Star to plant pecans for tn
commercial value of the nut as vel
as the timber. To enforce his ap
peals he frequently referred to pecal
culture in Texas as an object lessor
of what the North Carolina farme
could accomplish if he would heet
what had been accomplished in tina
State in which it had been supposed
but a few years before that nothing
but long horned prairie cattle woul,
thrive. Yet last year, one pecal
raiser sold 10000 pounds of nuts a
20 cents a pound as a side crop. AM
now the Old North State has snatch
ed the victory, SO far as the qualit.
of the pecan is concerned, from tn
Lone Star State. She may neve
quite rival Texas in the quantity c
nuts marketed, but she can, ii he
farmers will, be an easy second.
In the matter of fruits North Caro-
Carolina was awarded a beautiful
solid silver loving cup, about twelv
inches high, valued think, at $500
for the best display of pears. Fo
the best general display OF fruit b.
any State, North Carolina too
third premium, Iowa taking first an,
Nebraska second.
1t should be noted in this conneC
tion that the exhibits from the tw,
States have comparatively a shor
distance for travel to the place of ez
hibition. The additional point i
made by Mr.. Shaw, Mr.. Hutt's cleve
assistant-and here l feel tempted t.
say that this young gentleman is
fine exhibit himself of what the OIL
North State~is capable of doing i
I the production OF first-class mer
who can tell the good features {
their own State without tiring th
listener that fruit ripens severe
weeks earlier in his State than
does in these Western States and a
a consequence, the choicest can not b
had in a perfect state of preservatio
for exhibition purposes so late in tn
season as this one just closed. Fo
the best home orchard exhibit Mort
Carolina took first prize; for the Gu
State Special, first; for the comme
cial package, single barrel, first; fo
Black Ben Davis, and Detroit Rex
first; for the greatest number {
plates. by any one owner, first; fC