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On May 29, 1981, during the celebration of the 50th Apple Blossom Festival, the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association (NSFGA) opened the Blair House Museum to the public. The museum was created to preserve and display the history of the apple growing industry and the research station. The Blair House Museum, located on the Kentville Agricultural Centre grounds, offers both an interesting and educational look at the history of the apple industry in Nova Scotia, as well as the modern research being performed at the Kentville Agricultural Centre. The N.S.F.G.A. wing of the museum tells the history of the apple industry in Nova Scotia through numerous pictures, stories, and artifacts. Apple barrel making tools, apple baskets, apple peelers – even an old sprayer, show how things were done over a half-century ago. The collection includes an original Scotian Gold cider jug, a pictorial demonstration of apple barrel making, and a peek inside a turn-of-the-century apple evaporating plant. The Agriculture Canada wing offers a look at both the past and present research performed at the station, through informative photos and scientific instruments. One room delves into the history of scientific research at the station by means of photos and original equipment from each area of study. Enjoy the history of an old camera, balance scales, and microscopes. A second room boasts new and colorful pictures that show the current research being done on the grounds. All these rooms complement each other in a way that offers the visitor a well-rounded look at the apple industry — past and present. |