Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-10-13
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
Grows is admitted by all, including pho-
torraphers, TO be the most wonderful pho
toeraphic reproduction that has ever been
made Only yesterday Committee rep
resenting the greatest Fruit-Growing AS
ISOLATION Of France, TO the number OF nj
teen. visited the office. They were in
charge OF their President. who is the
largest individual fruit grower In tho
Republic They came here to get an Illus
tration OF the Industrial and climatic con-
ditons under which our fruit is grown.
| explained to them fully tho prolific char
acter Of our climate, and by pictures ana
illustrations showed them that we had a
full crop every year; that our danger was
from over-bearng that In no instance
had we missed two crops in succession
from any cause. You Will scarcely I'M
derstand the intense interest OF this In
terview until It is explained that this
Fruit-Growing Association practices fruit
culture In two ways, wall -culture and
CultiVating under glass Il forego French
Designations. The outdoor cultivation of
fruit In France is extra hazardous and is
fast being superseded by the artificial
means of wall and glass
The gentlemen who were here yester-
day explained that the most profitable
cultivation was that wherein all the fac
tors of success were in tho hands of the
Cultivator. | have used this argument
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
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, 1t became apparent both to my
self and my auditors, that the natural
conditions in California are as nearly per-
feet for the production OF fruit as It is
possible to be, and that at all events
there are economies with US which will
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
orchard OF the world, for reasons which
will be more easily made apparent in
interview.
The reason for the foregoing narration
! Will now present; We had exhausted
the interest of the exhibit in showing the
fruits, the plneapples, the dates, the
prunes, the peaches, the pears, the APP
Piles, the vegetables in all their varieties, |
etc.
The day was extremely hot and the In
terview had become monotonous, / called !
the company into an attitude in which |
they could get good view of the pam
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 tho |
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
been shown abroad. The forest as ex-
pressed In that picture is infinitely SUI
Derior TO any forestry expression possible
here. The largest pine tree / saw in Ger
many was less than twenty-four inches
IN diameter, and not to exceed seventy-hve
d. eighty feet high After what we had
-old them of the favoring conditions OF
climate and soil we introduced them into
he heart of one OF our greatest forests
y the best representation which can be
placed upon paper. You can have no
ldeQuate conception of how it broadened
md dignified and ennobled our State We
lad shown them panorama pictures, pic
ures OF prune orchards in bloom, pic
ures of orchards, one of which is a most
marvellous presentation, the panorama
tsef being six feet by fourteen inches
Ugh, and representing five hundred acres
II prune orchard. We had shown them
wenty-one square miles in one panorama
+ a fruit orchard In Vaca Valley. We had
hown them large fruits and large veg
tables, and all these things had appealed
o them as exceptional The panorama of
he great forests Of California, including
he greatest trees that grow in me STATE
onferred upon the entire exhibit proba-
'ility and confirmation.