Amador ledger., 1900-09-21
Southern Pacific Comp.ny's Exhibition.
PARIS, 1900.

VIM H. Mills, Director in Charge.
20 Boulevard des Itsliens
Paris, July 10Th, 1900.
Extract from letter, dated Paris,
July 10th, from Mr.. w. H. Mills:
The panorama picture of the Mart
posa Grove is admitted by all, includ-
ing photographers, to be the most
wonderful Photographic reproduction
that has ever been made. Only yester-
day Committee representing the
greatest Fruit-Growing Association of
France, to the number of fifteen, visit
ed the Office. They we're in charge of
their President, who is the largest in
dividual fruit grower in the Republic.
They came here to get an illustration
of the Industrial and climatic conditions
under which our fruit is grown. l ex-
planned to them fully the prolific char
acter of our climate, and by pictures
and illustrations showed them that we
had full crop every year; that our
danger was from Over-bearing; that in
no instance had we missed two crops in
succession from any cause. You will
scarcely understand the intense interest
of this interview 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
tarance is eXtra-hazardOus and is fast
being superseded by the artificial means
of wall and glass.
Tho gentlemen who were here yes
terday explained that the most profit
able cultivation was that wherein all
the factors OF success were in the hands
of the cultivator. | have used this
argument many times for the promo
tion of the policy of irrigation 1 have
said that when the moisture can be
controlled. both with reference to mois-
ture 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. Its main factors are
at the hazard of chance.
When | explained, however, the con-
ditions under which fruit was grown in
California, it became apparent both to
myself and my auditors, that the nat
ural conditions in California are as
nearly perfect 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 con-
clusion as demonstrated 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 personal in
terview.
The reason for the foregoing narra-
tion | will now present: We had ex-
hausted the interest of the exhibit in
showing the fruits, the pineapples, the
dates, the prunes, the peaches, the
pears, the apples, the vegetables in all
their varieties, etc:
The day was extremely hot and the
interview had become monotonous. l
called the company into an attitude in
which they could get a good view of
the panorama of the great tree grove
| have never heard more genuine ex-
pressions of surprise and admiration
The, President of the Association, a
man of fine mentality and dignity OF
character, said, through the interpre-
ter to me, that the picture was the
most beautiful presentation of forest
he had ever seen and the forest was
the most beautiful of any that had
ever been shown abroad. The forest
as expressed in that picture is infinitely
superior to any forestry expression
possible here. The largest pine tree 1
saw in Germany was less than twenty
four inches in diameter, and not to ex-
ceed seventy-five Or 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 have no adequate
conception of how it broadened and
dignifed and ennobled our State. We
had shown them panorama pictures,
pictures of prune orchards in bloom,
pictures of orchards, one of which is a
most marvellous presentation, the pan
oramo itself being six feet by fourteen
inches high, and representing five hun
dred 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 vegetables, 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 ex-
hibit probability and confirmation.