Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1900-10-13
CALIFORNIA; SPLENDID SHOWING
AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION.

recently written by Mr.. VIM. II. 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 10Th. 1900.
The panorama picture OF the Mariposa
Grove Is admitted by all. including pho-
tosraphers, 10 be the most wonderful pho
tographic reproduction that has ever been
made. Only yesterday committee rep
resenting the greatest Fruit-GIowlng As
teen, visited the Office. They were in
charge OF their President. who Is the
largest individual fruit grower In the
Republic. They came here 10 get an Illus
tration OF the industrial ana ,pu T' - crown
/ explained TO them fully the prolihc char,
meter OF our climate, and by pictures anu
Illustrations showed them that we nau
full crop every year; that our oah ,s,, wes
had We missed two crops, In succession
from any cause. You VIII scarcely I'M
derstand the intense interest OF TINS IN
tervlew until Il Is explained that tmis
Fruit-Growing Association practices frui!
culture In two ways. wail-culture ana
cultivating under glass Il forego FRENCH
designations). The outdoor cultivation OF
fruit In France Is extra. hazardous ano ~
fast being superseded by the artlnciai
means OF wall and glass.
The gentlemen who were here yester-
day explained that the most prontaple
cultivation was that wherein all the lac
tors OF success were In the hands OF the
cultivator. l have used this argument
many times for the promotion OF the policy
Of irrigation. / have said that wnen the
moisture can be controlled. both with rel;
culture will have bsen achieved: that at
that point only II becomes an art; but
where natural conditions are dependea
upon and are not under the control OF
man, the cultivation has not risen TO the
dignity OF an art. Its main factors are at
the hazard OF chance.
When / explained. however. the condi-
lions under which fruit was grown IN
California. II became apparent potn 20 my
conditions in California are as nearly per-
feet for the production OF fruit as II Is
possible TO be. and that at all events
give us 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
Oh Ss Of the asy aS Ss IN
The reason for the foregoing narration
I will now present: We had exhausted
the interest OF the exhibit In showing the
prunes, the peaches. the pears, the ap-
pies. the vegetables In all their varieties
etc.
terview hadSbecome monotonous. called
the company into an attitude IN which
they could get a good view OF the pan
Drama OF the great tree grove. ! nave
never heard more genuine Expressions o,s Q,
OF the Association. man OF fine mentality
and dignity OF character. said, through the
Interpreter to me. that the picture was
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 pDssGi or
many was less than twenty-four Inches
In diameter, and not to exceed seventy-hve
or eighty feet high. After what we had
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 II broadened
and dlgnified and ennobled our State. We
had shown them panorama pictures, pic
lures OF prune orchards In bloom, pic.
lures OF orchards. one OF which Is most
marvellous presentation. the panorama
Itself being six feet by fourteen inches
high. and representing five hundred acres
OF prune orchard. We had shown them
twelty-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
10 them as exceptional. The panorama OF
the great forests OF California. incluiing
the greatest trees that grow IN the State,
conferred upon the entire exhibit proba-
bllity and confirmation.