The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-05
OUR RURAL HOMES.

Two of the prettiest homes across the bay are
those of Judge John CARRIER and James Palache
at Claremont, near Berkeley. They are on the
sloping hillside commanding views of the bay
and Golden Gate. The places adjoin and re-
Gently have been connected still more closely
by the erection of an artistic villa midway be-
tween the houses. In this reside Whitney
Palache and his wife, who, as Miss CARRIER, was
well known in social circles over the bay. Both
places have large orchards and extensive
flower gardens. Mr.. Palache is quite an en-
thusiast in horticulture, and his Benheim
apricots, large and luscious, have long been
the envy of all his neighbors.
One of the landmarks of the Berkeley hills is
the old Hamilton place at the head OF Dwight
way, near the State institute for the deaf ana
dumb and blind. 1t was laid out by the late
DR.. Laurentine Hamilton, who there made his
home for many years. 1t comprises over thirty
acres of hill and canyon, and is as beautiful
site as may be found. w. II. Smyth, now
superintendent of the Mechanics Institute
Fair, bought the place recently and is making
many Improvements. Both Mr.. and Mrs.
Smyth are wide-awake floriculturists, and the
number of roses, chrysanthemums and pelar-
goniums that place will produce next spring
will likely surprise all the fower-show ex-
hibitors.
The development of the sweet pea and the
consequent growth of the industry of growing
the seed are matters of which the average citi-
zen knows little. Within the past few years
the industry has grown to tremendous proper
tons in California, as well as in the Eastern
States and Europe. This season seeds will be
harvested from over 200 acres of sweet peas on
the Hopkins and Morse places, between San
Francisco and San Jose, and no one. can yet
figure just what the profits from this crop will
be. Sweet-pea growing has become a fad.
Every few years some 1ower-lover takes the
tine and the patience to undertake the devel-
opment by careful cultivation and cross-fertil-
ization of some special blossom, and these
devotees the world has to thank for new and
improved varieties. 1t was Henry Eckford a
Scotchman, residing at Shropshire, England,
who took up sweet-pea study, and up to the
present has produced over fifty distinctly
tinted varieties. Last year the seed of some
of these varieties sold for as much as $500 a
pound. Californians who wish early blossoms
next spring should sow seed in December.
DR.. Hutchins, the leading American authority,
says the best twelve varieties are: Blanche
Ferry, Blushing Beauty, Countess of Radnor,
Dorothy Tenant, FREELY, Her Majesty, Lady
Penzance, Mrs. Eckford, Mrs. Sankey, Orange
Prince, Stanley and Venus.
Not far from Hotel Rafael, in the best part of
gay San Rafael Professor w. f. C. Hasson, cleo
trician, has recently fitted up a charming
place and he is going in deep for Horticulture
and big strawberries. Professor Hasson was
once in the navy and travelled over the seas to
many lands, but he now disdains a home on
the rolling deep and thinks California hill
side is as choice spot for home as can be
found. Mrs. Hasson, daughter of Paul Neu-
man, Bohemian and chief adviser to Queen
Liliuokalani has been visiting her parents in
Honolulu for three months past, but she is ex-
pected here soon.
One of the characters around Auburn, Placer
County, few years ago was "Count" Feodor
Gloss, German of aristocratic lineage, who
came to that picturesque foothill town in
search of health He is there yet, many of his
continental oddities having worn off. He is
one of the most popular citizens and land
owners of the county. He found health, but
he did so not by sitting on hotel veranda
after the manner of the idling tourist, but by
pitching into hard work. He bought tract of
rocky hill land near town and to-day it is
money-making ranch He made some mistakes
and had many difficult tasks, but he perse-
vered and now he is as proud of "Quisisana,"
as he calls his place, as Mayor Sutro is of ''The
Heights" He has health and strength, and
to-day he is as good Californian as any native
son. He has made speciality of olive oil and
his brand is on sale at several of the best City
dealers, and number of shipments have been
made East,
1t is something of an indication of the vast
Importance the horticultural industry in Cali
fornia has assumed when an ordained clergy
man like Rev. A. T. Perkins of Christ Episcopal
Church of Alameda gives up his charge for the
purpose of devoting his entire time to his de-
vice for long distance fruit shipping. This,
Mr.. Perkins, who has been experimenting with
his patent compressed-air treatment for some
years, has done. He will go East to demon
strate the value of his system of cars. Mr.. Per-
kins is q cultured gentleman and for long
time has devoted himself to horticultural work
purely for recreation. Now he will make it a
business. He has an extensive apricot and
prune orchard near Fruitvale, but this will be
cared for by others while ne is working else
where with his invention. Two years ago
carload of fruit packed and treated by his SIM
pie process was sent to New Orleans and back
with most satisfactory results. 1 tasted some
OF the fruit taken from that car on its return
after two weeks of travel, and it was as edible
as if just picked from the tree. C. s. A.