Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-11-16
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. 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 1t is here
reproduced:
Paris, July 18th, 1900
The panorama picture OF the Mariposa
Grove Is admitted by all, including, pho-
tographers, to be the most wonderful pho-
tographic reproduction that mas ever peeh
made. Only yesterday committee rep
resenting the greatest t tpa nHmhsr Of f-
teen, visited the office. They were IN
charge of their President, who Is Inc
largest individual fruit grower IN tne
Republic. They came here 10 get an Illus
tration of the industrial ana eiimatH ro cUn-
/ explained to them fully the prollhc char,
acter of our climate, and by pictures ana
illustrations showed them that we nad q
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 I'M
derstand the intense interest OF this IN
terview until 1t Is explained that tnis
Fruit Growing Association practices Iruls
cultiyating under glass Il forego French
designations). The outdoor cultivation OF
fruit in France Is extra hazardous ana u
fast being superseded by the artincial
means of wall and glass.
The gentlemen who were here yester-
day explained that the most .prohtaple
cultivation was that wherein all the rae
tors of success were In the hands Oh the
cultivator. / have used this argument
many times for the promotion OF the ponsy
OF Irrigation. l have said that when the
moisture can be controlled. both with ref,
erence to moisture and drainage, civilized
culture will have been achieved; that al
that point only II becomes an art; pul
where natural conditions are dependeo
upon and are not under the control Of
man, the cultivation has not risen to the
dignity of an art. Its main factors are az
the hazard of chance.
When / explained, however, the condi'
tions under which fruit was grown ir
California, it became apparent both to my
self and my auditors. that the natura
conditions In California are as nearly per
feet for the production OF fruit, as It !.
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 IN,
orchard of the world, for reasons which
will be more easily made apparent in
personal interview.
The reason for the foregoing narration
l will now present: We had exhausted
the interest OF the exhibit in showing tn
fruits. the pineaIpples;,, the dates, TN TN
Piles, the vegetables In all their varieties
etc.
The day was extremely hot and the In
| terview had become monotonous. calle.
the company into an, attitude IN whicl
| they could get a good view OF the pan
Drama of the great tree grove. ! hav
never heard more genuine expressions
surprise and admiration. The Presiden
| OF the Association, man OF fine mentalit!
! and dignity OF character, said, through tn
Interpreter to me, that the picture wa
the most beautiful presentation OF a for
est he had ever seen and the forest wa
the most beautiful Of any that had eve
been shown abroad. The forest as ex
perlor to any forestry expression possibl
here. The largest pine tree / saw In Ger
many was less than twenty-four inche
| in diameter, and not to exceed seventy-fv
or eighty feet high. After what we ha'
told them Of the favoring conditions 0
climate and soil, we. introduced them int
| the heart of one Of our greatest forest
by the best representation which can b
| placed upon paper. You can nave n
adequate conception of how 1t broadene
and dignified and ennobled our State. W
had shown them panorama pictures, pic
lures Of prune orchards In bloom, pic
lures Of orchards, one of which is a mos
marvellous presentation, the panoram
itself being six feet by fourteen inche
high, and representing five hundred acre
| OF prune orchard. We had shown Their
twenty-one square miles in one panoram
of fruit orchard In Vaca Valley. We ha
shown them large fruits and large veg
etables, and all these things had appeale
to them as exceptional The panorama o
the great forests of California, ipcludin
the greatest trees that grow In the STATE
conferred upon the. entire exhibit proba
bility and confirmation.