The San Francisco call., 1896-05-15
Address by the Secretary OF
the Department of Agri-
culture.
PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.
Members Do Not Allow Their Throng
of Visitors to Go Away Hungry
or Thirsty.


OF the State Board of Trade at l6 Post
street.
II was Opening day." and the board
had evidently planned to render its house
warming a success.
The opening exercises began with
brief address OF welcome from Manager
FIlcher.
I'VE have no set programme" " he said,
land to my mind it seems hardly neces-
sary that there should be one. All around
us we have object lessons far more elo-
quent than any spoken words could be"
President Cbipman next gave a succinct
history of the State Board of Trade since
its organizat ion in August, 1887.
The board, he said, twas and still Is
voluntary association. In 1889 it was
incorporated un der the laws of the State
OF California, but has never been operated
or maintained by the State Yet we have
not made such a very bad showing. Our
two moving exhibits known as California
on Wheels Challenged nstinted admira-
ton in the Eastern States, over 1,000,O 900
persons registering on the visitors books
during the last trip"
Colonel John P. Irish, the next speaker,
made few remarks on the lines suggested
by President Chapman, after which he
said:
at is fortunate that on this occasion we
have with us an old friend of mine and q
most distinguished guest. We have here
a man who has changed the climate and
improved the soil OF his native State OF
Nebraska by a magnificent system of arti-
fetal forests, and 70 whom the Nation is
indebted for the annual celebration of
Arbor day. l refer to the Hon. j. Stirling
Morton, Secretary of the United States
Department of Agriculture"
burst of cordial applause greeted Mr..
Morton as he rose In answer to Colonel
Irsh's rather fowery introduction. When
quiet had been restored he said:
Amid the speaking trophies of your States
tropic luXuriance which surround US on every
hand we would, perhaps do well TO consider
for moment cold, hard fact. I refer to the
matter OF value; What is the value of what
We see about us?
We know in the first place that fine fruit is
usually in great demand This is great point
in favor OF California, for the value of prod
uct is in.proportlon to the demand. II the de-
mand be urgent the value Is high: If the de-
mand declines value is decreased and if the
demand ceases value dies.
Now in order to secure fourishing foreign
and Eastern market for Californian fruits il
must be borne in mind that IN the United
Stales there are 100000 people engaged IN
growing fruit for expectation. Hence for Cali
fornian fruit to succeed in foreign markets
only the best should be sent.
In London there IS always demand forsfine
bic fruits. The better grades OF Californian
fruits are lar superior to the English hothouse
product and can always command ready and
Temunerative sale. In 1895 fruit from Cali
fornia met with brilliant success in the Eng
lish and Continental markets.
To my MIND the reputation of Californian
fruits should be kept up to high standard.
For the London markets let only the finer
specimens be chosen, and these carefully
wrapped in thin paper to prevent possible
lowed carefully and conscientiously the Cali
fornian fruit-grower need have no fear that
his products will lack ready market.
The liberal instalment of sound busi-
ness sense which, by the way, was borne
out by volumes of statistics, brought the
programme to close. The speakers,
mem bers of the board and few specially
invited guests ad iourned to sky -parlor in
the rear OF the rooms, whence shortly pro-
ceeded sounds of popping corks, chinking
glasses and rattling plates.
The less favored guests betook them
selves to the sideboard, where they found
most substantial welcome, or wandered
about the rooms gazing at the various
objects of interest.
Some of the displays were unique as well
as effective. That of the Board of Trade,
which is to form part of the permanent
exhibit, is a reduced model of the Ferris
wheel, about twenty-five feet in diameter
the swinging cars being of cut glass and
filed with dried fruits, cereals and other
some platform of native woods arranged
in most intricate and graceful mosaic
pattern and surrounded by feathery palm
trees.
Another very striking feature of the dis
play is towering obelisk, thirty-fve feet
in height, com posed of bottles containing
native olive oil. The bottles are sustained
by an airy framework of gilded iron, and
the obeisk looks like monument com
posed OF suspended drops of molten gold
complete collection OF native woods
along the western wall of the main office
attracted much attention. Samples of the
various woods are given side by side in the
rough, and after having been polished the
contrast in many instances is striking.
Near by is an eagle, measuring ten feet
from tip to tip, composed altogether of
raislns strung on invisible wires.
1t is difficult to single out the county ex-
hibIts deserving OF special mention. Each
has some feature OF particular interest.
For example, the displays of minerals
from Placer, Nevada and Calaveras coun-
ties are fully equeled in merit and inter-
est by the lavish wealth of oranges, lem
ons, grapes and olives from Los Angeles
Fresno and Santa Cruz. Los Angeles also
contributes specimens OF native coal and
mineral oil. Silk, raw, manufactured and
on cocoons is exhibited by the counties of
Los Angeles, Glenn and half a dozen
others. While Mendocino contributes some
samples OF lambs wool fully as soft and
fine as any silk. A feature of Yolo's dis
play is a large glass jar of enormous
onions, while Santa Cruz contributes
profusion of luscious though fiery chiles
OF that sort known in Spain as "pobrots,"
a variety indigenous to Catalonia, but
which has been found to flourish In South
1rn California.
Alameda has a graceful pyramid of
fruits, wines and flowers, while Tehama
sports the State coat of arms in a mosaic
of vari-colored grains, fanked at either
side by star composed OF prunes. Solano
contributes some particularly fine cherries
and chestnuts, Contra Costa some jars of
giant asparagus, Napa fower-wreathed
pyramid of wine, Sacramento the State
seal in dried fruits, Santa Clara pyramid
of frnits and olive oil: but the list is too