The San Francisco call., 1904-07-27
THE CHICO PLANT STATION.

|HE people of Northern California have been
pleasantly affected during the last week by learning
that the location of the great Federal seed and plant
experiment station Chico endangered by the failure
of the people that city and Butte County to respond
with the $4,000 required purchase the land
needed We are persuaded that they not fully
the Importance of the prize that is within their grasp
Some among them has raised the cry that if the
United States such station should buy the land
and throw the burden upon the local people 1t
astounding that such argument should be made in
such matter. If the Government locating fort
an arsenal operating of its defensive
functions it would be proper to say that it should buy
the ground But this is an entirely different matter
This station is not required by the Government, which
get without it and never miss it. 1t is primarily
and mostly direct benefit the people who nearest
it. 1t will be the greatest OF its kind in the world
The world first heard of the capital of Santa Clara Val
ley through San Jose scale But this is forgotten
since the world has seen San Jose through Lick tee
scope on Mount Hamilton The world will in the fu-
ture see Chico County and the Sacramento Valley
through this garden which will be the Eden of
Northern California 1t will tell more of soil and eli
mate of capacity and products, than be told by bill
lions of pages of advertising
Already the seeds and stocks to plant it coming
from every grand division of the globe and from every
zone where nature produces plants useful man,
sary his existence and profitable to his purse In
brief time in the stimulating climate OF the Sacramento
Valley, there will rise there garden that grows
greater variety of plants than be grown elsewhere
the earth Their growth is necessary the Govern
of the United States 1t has existed more than
century without them and will continue to exist far into
the future the people refuse its offer gather
useful and novel plants from all the world and
plant tend them there, provided the petty of
$4,000 is furnished by Chico to buy the land The Gov
ernment will finally spend times ten that the
planting and maintenance of the station and in aiding
planters to utilize the plants it will grow there.
We told that in a meeting of the Sacramento
Chamber of Commerce glee expressed
the prospect that Chico would lose the station by failing
to raise the money, as then Sacramento would make
bid for it and get located that city, This
not merely the exhibition of a spirit 1t fool
ish. The Government experts made survey of the
whole State and found locations that filled the
ditions one at Chico and in Southern California.
If Chico fail that ends all prospect of any station in
Northern California. The commercial drainage of the
Sacramento Valley is to Sacramento. That city, instead
of exutng the failure of Chico should rally ber
ally to help her neighbor out.
It is no time for petty jealousy selfshness. All of
the Sacramento Valley may we'll make common cause
with Chico. Such opportunity to make final dem
onstration Of such economic factors soil and climate
does not come twice a region. 1t knocks and
on never to return Let the door be opened by
the opening of many purses and the returns will be
many times the investment