Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-10-11
CALIFORNIA; SPLENDID SHOWING
AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION.

Following is an extract from letter
recently written by Mr.. VIM. H. Mills,
of California, while in Paris in charge
of the Southern Pacific Company's eX-
hibit at the Exposition. 1t is remark
able for two reasons, first, as evidence
of the great interest which is every
where manifested in that wonderful
State; also for the valuable informa-
ton it contains, and for which it is here
reproduced:
Paris, July 18th, 1900.
The panorama picture of the Mariposa
tographers' to be the most wonderful pho
tographic reproduction that has ever been
resenting the greatest Fruit rowing AS
SOciation of France, to the number OF nj
visited sit 1b the f They Who is the
largest individual fruit grower in the
Republic. They came here to get an illus
tration of the industrial and climatic con-
ditions under which our fruit is grown.
1 explained to them fully the prolific char
illustrations showed them that we had a
full crop every year; that our danger was
had we missed two crops, in succession
from any cause. You will scarcely I'M
terview until it is explained that this
Fruit-Growing Association practices fruit
cuitivating under glass Il forego French
designations). The outdoor cultivation OF
fruit in France is extra hazardous ana Is
fast being superseded by the artificial
means of wall and glass.
The gentlemen who We're here yester-
day explained that the most profitable
cultivation was that wherein all the fac
tors of success were in the hands of the
many times for the promotion of the policy
Of irrigation. have said that when the
moisture can be controlled, both with ref
erence to moisture and drainage, civilized
culture will have been achieved; that at
that point only 1t becomes an art; but
where natural conditions are depended
upon and are not under the control OF
dignity of art. Its main factors are at
the hazard of chance.
lions under which fruit was grown in
California, it became apparent both to my
self and my auditors, that the natural
feet for the production of fruit as it is
possible TO be. and that at all events
give the fruit markets of the world.
You may accept this conclusion as dem
onstrated by our exhibit and observation
here. California is hereafter to be the
orchard of the world, for reasons which
will be more easily made apparent in a
The, reason for the fqregoi9g narration
the WIN pr tbs exhibit h m lhoWn t6e
fruits. the pineapples, the dates, the
prunes; the peaches, the pears, the APP
9 ete: the vegetables in all their varieties
The day was extremely hot and the in
terview had become monotonous. called
the company into an attitude in which
they could get a good view of the pan
Drama of the great tree grove. have
never heard more genuine expressions of
surprise and admiration. The President
of the Association, a man of fine mentality
and dignity of character, said, through the
Interpreter to me, that the picture was
the most beautiful preSentat ton of for
est he had ever seen and the forest was
the most beautiful of any that had ever
been shown abroad. The forest as ex-
pressed in that picture is Infinitely SUI
perior to any forestry expression possible
here. The largest pine tree I saw in Ger
many was less than twenty-four inches
in diameter, and not to exceed seventy-five
eighty feet high. After what we had
told them of the favoring conditions of
climate and soil. we introduced them into
the heart of one of our greatest forests
by the best representation which can be
placed upon paper. You can have no
adequate conception of how it broadened
and digniied and ennobled our State. We
lures of prune orchards in bloom, pic
marvellous presentation, the panorama
itself being six feet by fourteen inches
high. and representing five hundred acres
of prune orchard. We had shown them
twenty-one square miles in one panorama
of fruit orchard in Vaca Valley. We had
shown them large fruits and large veg
etableS, and all these things had appealed
to them as exceptional. The panorama of
the great forests of California, including
the greatest trees that grow in the State,
conferred upon the entire exhibit proba-
bility and confirmation.