The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28
THE LARGEST
GROWTH OF CACTUS HEDGE
In THE WORLD.
A Rema rkable Prickly Pear Tree
That FlourisheS Wonderfully
Though Far From It's
Native Soil.

One of the most puzzling things to botan
lists is the fact that plants can occasionally
be found growing to perfection, and even
abnormally, under conditions directly op-
posite to what is generally accepted as
needful to them.
One of the most pronounced examples Of
this can be seen in the big cactus hedge al
Sonoma. Under any circumstances this
vegetable growth would be curiosity, as
it is undoubtedly one of the largest, if not
the largest, in the world.
1t is said to have been planted about
sixty years ago by the good padres who
founded the mission of Sonoma. They
were all men who had spent their lives
farther south, and the sight of a cactus
tree was almost as necessary to them as
their daily food. To be sure few tiny
examples of the prickly pear could be
found on the hills, but those were not
what the padres wanted. They wanted
the kind that grows in Southern Califor-
mia and on the deserts of Arizona.
So they obtained few roots from San
Diego, it is said, and soon had their gar
den under way. They expected to have
something grand, but it is safe to say that
jured up anything like the hedge now
growing.
This giant prickly pear hedge is just
back of the old mission and close to the
church General Vallejo built for his sol
diers. 1t is one of the sights of Sonoma,
and at present looks its best, because it is
in bloom.
The most striking thing about the hedge
is it's great height. although it covers
nearly 800 square feet of land. 1t grows
in sort of row over 100 feet long and
about ten feet wide at the widest point. 1t
tapers to the ends or it would cover 1000
feet.
The accompanying picture only shows
portion of the hedge at the widest point,
but is enough to give an idea of the height
of the tallest tree. To measure this ex-
actly is, of course, difficult matter, as
the tallest tree is in the center of thick
growth of stickers. A few weeks ago 8
rough "sight" measurement was made
with level and a pole and the result
showed thirty-two feet.
This is nearly correct, as the picture
shows the tree to be about five times the
height of a lady, which would be twenty
five feet. Allowing for the fact that the
lady is about fifteen feet nearer the camera
than the tallest prickly pear would just
about make it, according to perspective
measurement.
The prickly pear is not generally con-
sidered beautiful, but the hedge at Sonoma
is really pleasing to look at. The large
blue-green leaves that look so thick and
clumsy here prod uce an artistic effect.
There are so many of them, and they have
a way of being thrown into strong relief
against the dark shadows of the interior
of the hedge, that is almost uncanny. as it
makes them seem to be suspended in air.
OF course, the hedge being in bloom now
it looks better than usual, as the bright
red flowers lend an additional charm. One
of the peculiar effects to be observed in
this hedge is that it is not swayed by the
wind except when gale is blowing.
Grass, weeds and other trees near by are
tossed about gracefully, but the prickly
pear, on account of being so heavy, re-
mains as rigid as if cut out of stone.
This remarkable hedge has been of al
most its present size for many years. AS
fast as new leaves form old ones fall off.