Willmar tribune., 1900-10-17
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. It 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.
tion it contains, and for which it is here
reproduced:
rne n,cE1d Paris July 1ya 1ssh 1o
Grove is admitted by all, including pho
tographers, to be the most wonderful pho.
tographic reproduction that has ever been
resenting the greatest Fruit-Growing AS
sociation Of France, to the number of fif-
visited t n the cs They IN
largest. Individual fruit grower. In the
Republic. They came here to get an illus
tration Of the Industrial and climatic con-
I explained to them fully the prolific char
Illustrations showed them that we had a
{gl crop every year, fhat o. our dangsf
had we missed two crops In succession
from any cause. You will scarcely un-
derstand the intense interest Of this in
it-Growing Association practices fruit
culture in two ways, wall-culture and
cultivating under glass Il forego French
fruit in France is extra-hazardous and is
fast being superseded by the artificial
means Of wall and glass.
The gentlemen who were mere yester-
day explained that the most profitable
cultivation was that wherein all the fac
tors of success were in the hands of the
cultivator. I have used this argument
<0H
Of Irrigation. I 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 it becomes an art; but
where natural conditions are depended
upon and are not under the control of
man, the cultivation has not risen to the
dignity of an art. It's main factors are ct
the hazard of chance.
When I explained, however, the condi-
tions under which fruit was grown In
self and my auditors, that the natural
conditions in California are as nearly per-
feet for the production of fruit, as it is
there are. economies with us which will
give us the fruit markets of the world.
You may accept this conclusion as dem
11nstrated by our exhibit and observation
orchard Of the world, for reasons which
will be more easily made apparent in q
The reason for the foregoing narration
I will now present: We had exhausted
the. interest Of the exhibit in showing the
fruits: the pineapples. the dates. the
pies. the vegetables in all their varieties.
The day was extremely hot and the in.
terview had become monotonous. I 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, man of fine mentality
Interpreter to me, that the picture was
| the most beautiful presentation of a for
est he had ever seen and the forest was
the most beautiful of any that had ever
pressed in that picture is Infinitely So
pertor to any forestry expression possible
here. The largest pine tree saw in Ger
many was less than twenty-four inches
IN daamfter and net not to exceed
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
passa o cat aayd
and digntfied and ennobled our State. I'VE
; had shown them panorama pictures, pic
lures OF prune orchards IN bloom, pic.
lures Of orchards: one of which is most
itself being six feet by fourteen inches
Of prune orchard. We had shown them
twenty-one square miles in one panorama
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
conferred upon the entire exhibit proba-
bil1ty and confirmation.