The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-11-29
SOME WINDOW VIEWS
ON RECENT TRIP
From San Jose to Santa Cruz, GallfOr-
MIA. by Miss Susie Yerger.

Editor Commonwealth should In
deed be selfish, did | not avail myself Of
this opportunity of communicating to
my friends and the readers Of your valu-
able journal, the Impressions made on
my mind while travelling through this
interesting portion Of California, on my
way to Santa Cruz from San Jose, and
to the Land Of the Big Trees where
for the past week | have been with my
aunt. As | look out Of the window Of
the fast and easy going coach Of the
Southern Pracidc railroad, ! observe a
seed farm, the greatest of its kind in
United States, and from which are fur
nished the government at Washington
City, for gratuitous distribution, great
quantities Of various kinds of rare and
valuable seeds.
We are now in the heart Of the Santa
Clara Valley, where we see growing on
all sides, hundreds and thousands Of
acres of apricots, prunes, almonds,
olives, apples, Bartlett pears, and grape
vines, as far as the eye can reach.
"Gilroy," the famous Hot Springs Of
California, has just been passed, where
crowds of people from all parts of the
universe flock the whole year round,
seeking health and pleasure.
The foothills Of the Santa Cruz
mountains carpeted in velvet green,
surround us on all sides. Every now
and then q bright green sward appears
in the plain-like valley, where the cattle
and sheep are leisurely grazing.
The railroad is dotted all along with
little shipping stations. AS we speed
through the agricultural district | see
the great steam pillow, which breaks the
soil up until almost pulverized. 1t can
be made to pillow deep or shallow and
just regulated to the proper depth Of
thirty-six inches; it requires a skilled
machinist, a driver and a fireman; it
only takes three men to run the pillow
which is thirty-six hundred horse
power. The cost Of the machine and
implements is about twenty. Ave thous-
and dollars. 1t would require thirty or
forty men in Mississippi to perform the
same amount of labor. As hired-men
are scarce in this country the machine
is agreat labor saving invention. There
is very lite Chinese and Japanese la
Dor now, since the union strikers have
run them out.
My! how beautiful the shaggy mons
covered oak and bay trees look scatter
ed over the hills and wales so plentifully
along coast Of the Pacific States.
We now see extensive tomato fields,
acres in number, where the tomatoes
are raised for the government, used in
prime for seed; those ripening being
sold to the factories for canning, m
thing very new and interesting to me.
The tomato plant Of California is very
low, SO low that the vegetable often
ripens on the ground. The vine Is
never trained up as it Is at home.
The weeping willow, an old ~acquaint-
ance Of mine, the eucalyptus, al AUS
tralian tree, the pine, AZ, pepper and
walnut, all owe these slopes and val
leys.
The region near and around Gilroy u
celebrated for wood, grain and trading
and is especially adapted to the Gull
~tivation Of winter turnips and hay.
Diaries and creameries OF Immense
size are seen in large numbers.
Nowl the wild, golden poppy 20 inn
m~ortalized BY Joaquin Miller, Califor-
MAS famous poet, covering acres o.
ground raising their cups q gold 70 The
sur and heaven ~ II impioring : bless-
ing from their Creator nlls my heard
with Joy, and | long to jump cut Of the
car window and All my arua With them.
Can you imagine anythine more
be&atifol n plsaalng \ ~ ~ tAaa
ons extensive csFpct X yslvse sFesa,
the kind - restfnls " ~ Syespseading
oat ~ ~ wids ~ HIN Sled rnoua-
tAins With psAeetplhsraa 2&owly gtaai1g
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