The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1900-10-12
CALIFORNIA; SPLENDID SHOWING
AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION.


Following is an extract from letter
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. II 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 inforT1a-
ton IL contains, and for which it is here
reproduced;
\The panorama picture OF the Mariposi
| Grove Is admitted by all. including pho
| toeraphcrs. 10 be the most wonderful pho
tofraphic reproduction that has ever beer
mtde. only yesterday a Committee rep
relenting the greatest Fruit Growing Az
.sorlation OF France, TO the number Of hf-
teen. visited the ONCE. They were N
charge OF their President, who Is the
largest Individual fruit grower IN tas
Republic They came here to get an illus
tfation OF the Industrial and climatic con-
ditions under when our Lrnlt n sI9 9s n
acter Of our climate. and by pictures ana
Illustrations showed them that We mao
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 un-
3erstand the intense interest OF this in
al
Fruit-Growing Association practices fruit
culture In two ways. wail-culture and
cultyating under glass Il forego French
designatlons). The outdoor CULTIVATION OF
fruit In France Is extra-hazardous and IL
fast being superseded by the ARTIFICIAL
means OF wall and glass.
The gentlemen who were here ysster-
DAY explained that the most prohtabls
cultivation was that wherein all the FAC
tors Of success were In the hands OF the
cutivator. have used this argument
many times for the promotion OF the policy
OF Irrigation I have said that when the
moisture can be controlled, both with ref
erence TO moisture and drainage, civilized
culture VIII nave oten senlesSo; IN rnaI nn az
where natural conditions are depended
upon and are not under the control OF
man, the cultivation has not risen 10 the
dignity OF an art. Its main Factors are Al
the hazard Of chance.
When l explained. however the condi-
tlons under which fruit was grown IN
California. IL became apparent both 10 my
self and my auditors. that the natural
conditions In California are as nearly per-
feet for the production OF fruit as II Is
Possible 70 ec oe, aha , wtb Which viii
give us the fruit markets OF the world.
You may accept this conclusion as DEM
onstrated by our exhibit and observatiSn
here. California Is hereafter TO be the
orchard OF the world. for reasons which
will be more easily made apparent IN
personal Interview.
/ win now present; Wahad exhausted
the interest OF the exhiblJ In showing the
fruits. the pineapples. the dates, the
prunes, the peaches, the pears, the APP
pies. the vegetables In all their varieties
etc.
The day was extremely hot and the in
tervieN had become monOtonous. / called
the company Into an attitude IN Whlch
they could get a good view OF the pam
Drama OF the great tree grove. ! nave
never heard more genuine expressions OF
surprise and admiration. The President
OF the Association. man or FAC M rtolitN
and dignity OF character, said, through the
interpreter TO me- that the picture was
the most beautiful presentation 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 eN-
pressed In that picture is INFINITELY SUI
perior TO any forestry expression possible
here. The largest pine tree | saw ~ Ger
man. was less than twenty-four inches
In diameter, and not to exceed seventy-nNe
or eighty feet high. After what we had
climate md 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 nave no
adequate conception OF how II broadened
and dign!acd and ennobled our State. We
had shown them panorama pictures pic
lures OF prune orchards In bloom, pie
lures OF orchards. one OF which Is a 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
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, lnciuuing
the greatest trees that grow IN the state.
conferred upon the entire exhibit prooa-
40 a.u4fIn NaNN a