The morning call., 1893-06-04

other cities and towns in the State
to emulate. In so small place compare
lively as Rochester, n. Y, we may learn
lesson of street adornment that will
send US back to San Francisco either full
of disgust or else of enthusiasm begotten
OF good example. Our fine street, Van
Ness avenue. could well have a
park running in its center from end
to end. as has Drexel boulevard
in Chicago. Besides the advertising"
advantage a beautifully improved street
gives city is the auickening effect, for
ally, it has on the people owning frontage
on such street. 1t leads the residents to
vie with one another in making their own
gardens more than ordinarily pretty, and
great deal of this spirit is what San
Francisco sorely needs.
If, therefore, the city authorities can
not or will not make and maintain park
in the middle of street like, for instance.
Van Ness avenue, would it not be a cred
liable move for property-owners ON that
street TO take the matter in their own
hands and in due form organize an i'm
provement club for so worthy an object as
here suggested? Not long since the owners
very properly com bined to prevent the
building of street railroad which would
disfigure their avenue Why not 90 a step
further in the right direction? Van Ness
could be made one Of the most beautiful
residence places in the world instead OF
being, as it now is, a whrlwind of dust,
or, when not that, broad area of slush.
Did Van Ness avenue evidence a spirit
OF progress among the people, other streets
would soon show beneficial marks of the
desirable example set them.
We believe that an improvement of our
streets would awaken househoders to take
better care of their gardens. so that in
stead OF considering that piece of hose,
poorly kept plat of grass with
a delected-looking fan palm in the
center, make a garden, our people
would aim little higher and go in tor
q few chrysanthemums. roses, carnations,
fuchsias (San Francisco is the fuchsia
city pansies, asters. cannas, hydrangeas,
sweet peas. all old. but the latest improved
sort very lovely indeed. We are not keep
Ing our gardens up with the times. The
trouble is we leave our gardens almost
entirely to the care of the Creator and the
glorious climate of California. Just a little
bit of everyday intelligence and vigilance
would be an immense assistance.
In nearly all sections Of the State
flowers thrive with SO little attention that
seldom are the full posi- bilities of Cali
fornia's Horticulture attained. English.
French and German gardeners say that
with our advantages Of soil and climate we
have an illimitable field for amateur and
professional alike did we only accept our
| opportunities. SO numerous are the in
stances In which plants of foreign intro
duction have been brought to a perfection
not dreamed Of in their original habitat.
that their recital would be tiresome.
Take the chrysanthemum. 1t is of COM
! paratively recent introduction here, For
over century it has been cultivated in
France and England, whittier it was
! brought from its home in Japan In Cali
fornia it attains a size, beauty AID. in
some instances. fragrance. that the Japan
csc thought never possible. 1t is opportune
to here remark that those who would
have a wealth of bloom this autumn and
winter should not defer planting to later
| date. Now is the time.
| The various flower shows held through
out the State during recent years have
done much toward stimulating the floral
| impulses Of our people. In this connee.
ton 1t may be said that San Francisco and
| the territory north of 1t have allowed the
southern part of the State to walk off it'll
the greater part of the States floral honors.
AS great big advertisement with ring
! OF genuineneSs, too nothing has been seen