Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1888 — “THE LAND OF CANAAN” [ARTICLE]

“THE LAND OF CANAAN”

Which the American Horticultural Society Indorses with Enthusiasm. [Special correspondence.] Han Jose, Cab, Jan. 31st, 188& "hen the American Horticultural Society, in session at Cleveland, Omo, last year, voted to hold their eighth annual secs.on at Han Jose, California, they “budded better than they knew. ” T hat ta the universal testimony of the de.egatee here who, by coming, have escaped the terrtbie blizzards raging east of the Rocky Mountains, ana at the same time have come to th 3 spot where Horticulture is on its native heath, and challenges comparison with the world, without fear of the result. Han Jose, where the Association has just held its session, is the county seat of Hanta Clara County, and the center of all the Santa Clara Valley. Its Mexican history dates back over one hundred years, but Mexican history » half-civdized, non-progressive era, Which does not count for much, and no California town has a history worth recording earlier than ’49. It is notable that the spot where San Jose ie located attracted attention at an early date, both from the Mexicans and Americans. The Mexicans were attracted there in 1777, and the Jesuits located a mission at Santa Clara, three miles distant, the same year. When, in 1849, the gold discoveries attracted Americans in large numbers to California, San Jose was instantly recognized as an advantageous point Consequently, the first constitutional convention, which convened at Monterey, the temporary capital, selected San Jose as the capital of the State, and the first California Legislature met in this city. In those early days the capital was a great bone of contention, and San Jose finally lost it; bnt the fact remains that the selection was the unbiased judgment of the early pioneers, while the removal was due to and real-estate influences. The visiting horticulturists heartily indorse the judgment of the early pioneers. We find here a Beautiful and home-like city of 20,000 people, the fifth in size in the State, Wide streets, paved and macadamized; elec-tric-light towers, street railroads, and an electric street railroad nearing completion; churches and schools in abundance; charming drives, and in the city and county combined many more notable points than is ordinarily vouchsafed one locality.

NOTABLE POINTS. •The State Normal School, located in a beautiful tract of land, thirty acres in extent* doBy the city, averages 545 pupils. This institution was visited by the Horticultural Association in a body, as were many other points of interest Here, too, is the Convent of Notre Dame, with two or three hundred pupils. Within two miles is the University of the Pacific, an extensive Methodist institution, with 300 pupils. At Santa Clara, three miles distant, is the famous school of the Jesuit Fathers, with 400 pupils. These, with five jmblic schools, would seem to supply both San Jose and Santa Clara County; but these do not comprise aIL Within the county and twelve mues distant from San Jose is ? Alto, where Senator Stanford is building the Leland Stanford-Junior University, as a monument to his deceased son—an only child, who died while traveling in Europa Senator Stanford has endowed the instition to the extent of #20,000,000, making it financially the strongest institution in the country. With such an endowment there is no doubt it will also be the strongest intellectually when completed, as so magnificently planned. In addition to the university Senator Stanford has here his country seat and world-famous stables, where the finest running and trotting stock in this country is produced. Fifteen hundred acres, over 50J horses, and buildings and employes in proportion, give a fa nt idea of the extent of these stables. A night school for the boys and rational amusement for all are provided on the grounds.

THE LICK TELESCOPE. Many of the Horticulturists enjoyed a delightful drive—albeit there was a thin coat of mud on the road—to Mt Hamilton, twentyfour miles distant This is the site of the Li'ck telescope and observatory. San Jose and vicinity seem to have been especially favored by public enterprises. James Lick, a Pennsylvania bachelor, was attracted to California by the gold fever of ’49, and, as the saying goes, he “struck it rich.” His mining work and investments were especially dor lunate. He lived, personally, in a very parsimonious manner, and his increasing fortune was never diminished by any luxury for himself. In spite of such a life, he provided in his will to turn his great property over to trustees for public institutions; and the greatest of all was $700,000, which was to be devoted to this observatory. The lenses for the telescope were only put in place a few weeks ago, though it is twelve years since Lick’s death, and eight years since the work of building the observatory wai vigorously begun. San Jose iB but ninety feet, wh lo the observatory is over ~000 feet above the sea level. It is literally A monument to the founder, for his remains lie under the marble pier, which, thanks to his liberality, supports the most powerful telescope in the world. The visit to Mt Hamilton was one which every one enjoyed. This trip will be a pilgrimage for visitors to San Jose for all time, and fitly so, for the great telescope is one of the wonders of the world. In fac&i it is bringing scientific men to see it from distant foreign countries, as well as from all portions of our own. QUICKSILVER MINES. Twelve miles from San Jose we find the New Almaden quicksilver mines, which have no equal in the world save the Almaden mines in Spain. The existence of this rich ore was known to the Spaniards in 1824, but it was not until 1864 that work was systematically begun. No gold mines in the State have proved so uniformly productive, and the net earnings of these mines are between three and four million dollars per year. The mines have penetrated 2,500 feet’ below the surface of the earth, and are still going. The plant, or machinery for carrying on the great work, is something tremendous, and well worthy a long journey to inspect Deposits of asphalt found in the county afford San Jose cheap sidewalks and fine street paving. It will in time vie with Washington in asphalt pavement, and this, too, without the importation from foreign lauds, as was the case at the National Capital. The parks and pleasant drives properly come under the head of “notable points,” but in reality they are too numerous to notice in detail. lon simply cannot go in any direction from San Jose without finding attractive drives, and some of thorn are positively enchanting. THE HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. It was really difficult to secure a full attendance upon the Horticultural Association, so many were engaged in out-door roamings and sight-seeing. It was such a marked contrast to hovering over huge fires or wading in snow encased in buffalo overcoats, that the delegates seemed to want to make ttie most of their time by enjoying the open air or visiting the horticultural fair, which was in progress. Still there was much interest in the proceedings, and an interchange of information and experience which cannot fail to be valuable to all in attendance. - - The sessions were presided over by Parker Earle, of Cob Jen, 111., and continued for three days. President Earle’s annual address contained the following explanation of why they were here: It was nearly fifty years ago that I had my first dream of a horticultural paradise, as I read, in the good old Bible story, the report of that exploring oommittee which Moses sent out to search the land of Canaan, and spy out its resources and “to bring back the fruit of the land.” Now, Moses being the wisest of his race, and the greatsst leader of men, did not ask i is committees to brfcig back samples of the graiu, the merino wool, the short staple cotton, or the best breeds of live stock, Short Horns or Jerseys, but simply to bring back the fruit of the land. For Moses seemed to know that the country which could grow the best fruits was the very best country for the chosen people of the Lora to emigrate to. And when this first

horticultural deputation returned laden with the figs, the pomegranates, and the great cluster of grapes from the hanks of the brook of Lachoi, that the two men Lore on a staff between them—and 1 know that that cluster of grapes reached from the on the men’s shoulders nearly to the ground, tor my moth ors great Bible pictured it that way—then Moses and Aaron and Caleb and the few wise men of Israel wanted to go up and possess the land, notwithstanding the sons cf Anak dwolt there, SDd the other tribes of like great stature, but the mass of the people of Israel were igndtsnt, and did not appreciate this horticultural exhi - mtion and the promise of the better liie that was poas.ble in a fruit-growing country, but they grumbled and rebelled, and they aileuffered the righteous penalty for tbe.r neglect of such a nobie opportunity. But X well remember the longing with which I considered t_>&t enormous bunch of grapes and the impulse I had to go and find a country where tney grow grapes in big clusters.

THE LAND OF CANAAN. And so a few of us horticultural dreamers nave come oyer the great fertile plains and across the thirsty deserts, and have climbed the gigantic walls which fortify you against invasion, to test for ourselves the climate and the frmta of this earthly paradise. We think we like the land and the fruits thereof, and shall make a good report of them to ail the chosen people qi Israel. My friends of the land of Canaan, we are glad that we came. We are glad to be with you and to see the welcome which shines in all your faces. We come as fruit growers, and gardeners, and forest planters, and builders of homes, to greet our brethren in a land whose conditions of culture we have long envied We have come to study these new condition's for ourselves; to gain new ideas which we may apply where our surroundings a.e less favorable ; to compare views as to many questions regarding which we have a common interest, and to drink with you at the fountains of enthusi« asm which have inspired you to so many bril- , enterprises ail along this golden coast. dne .President also urged congressional legislation to prevent wanton destruction of forests, and tue discussion which ensued showed a strong sentiment in favor of such a coarse, and resolutions requesting legislation were adopted. A paper from J. M. bmith. of Wisconsin, favored fertilizing the soil, hut the discussion which followed showed there was no such necessity in California Mr. Wilcox said the soil of a great part of Hanta Clara Couniy was inexhaustible. In boring artesian welis it had been lound that a good garden soil extended to a depth of over five hundred feet. Five crops of alfalfa could be produced in one year without materially diminishing the production. As much as eighty-five bushels of wheat had been raised to the acre, but small fruits, eta, were found to be more valuable, and people quit raising wheat. He had raised, he said, 1,000 pounds of onion seed from two acres. At various stages of the proceedings there were similar developments, showing that the labor and care required for the produetion of fruit in the East was very much more than in California, and the Californians, being on thsir native heath, clinched their arguments by citations and illustrations of practical experience.

AT HORTICULTURAL HAT.T. The people of Han Jose have erected a permanent building, 80 feet wide by 166 leet long, in which to make the Citrus and Horticultural "exhibits. The proceedings of the National Association were made especially interesting by having a Citrus Fair in progress At Horticultural Hall at the same time. Though held at the most unfavorable time of the year the Eastern visitors were greatly astonished at what they sfiw. Santa Clara County does not make great pretensions to being a citrus region, because the people frankly say they can make more money oat of less perishable fruit, but the exhibit here this week shows that it is a citrus region without assuming to be. There are several canning factories here, and so while citrus fruits grow in the county in considerable quantities, the staples are prunes, apricots, pears, peaches, cherries, figs, olives, eta The exhibit of these truits, canned or dx'ied, or both, was something astonishing. Of the smaller fruits, strawberries, raspberries, eta, titye production is large, and especially of strawberries. Ninetenthß of all the strawberries in the State are grown in this county, two crops a year being secured, the market time ranging from May to January. There was also an exhibit of almonds, English walnuts, pecans, and other varieties of nuts, all produced in profusion in Santa Clara Valley. A pyramid of vegetables rising twentyfive feet high, and comaining 150 to 200 pound squashes and 100-ponnd heels (as large in circumference as a man’s body), attracted a good deal of attention from the Eastern visitors. To enumerate all the attractions of the exhibit would require a volume, but it was a happy tribute to place before the National Horticultural Association. THE TEMPERATURE. San Jose proposes to let her light shine, and has an energetic Board of Trade, whose rooms are constantly open to supply visitors with all kinds of information relative to lands, prices, products, eta One of ihe most comprehensive little volumes I have seen is issued by this Board for general circulation, descriptive of Santa Clara County. In talking with the Secretary, Mr. Edward B. Lewis, he showed me the following thermometr:cal record: The highest temperature during 1886 was 92 degrees at 11 o’clock, June 8; and the lowest was 28 degrees above zero on Jan. 4, at 7 a. m. The highest for 1887 was 89 degrees at 3:30 p. m., June 19; and the lowest was 28 degrees above zero on Jan. 28. at 7 a. in. They take their observations four times a day, and every day in the year, and these figures are not the average , but the actual highest and lowest points reached during the years named. Mr. Lewis told me that the price of land in the county ranged from S4O to SSOO per acre, according to location and amount of improvement There is, of course land held at lower and also at higher figures, but I give an average range. To realize 10 per cent interest on SI,OOO from the products of a single acre is quite moderate, and oftentimes double that amount is produced. In sac, five acres, well handled, will support a family. The Horticultural Association did not conclude its session here, but adjourned to meet at Riverside, in the southern part of the State, on February 6, and in the meantime the delegates will roam about viewing other wonders as well as the products of Santa Clara Valley, though these have nearly filled their capacity to the utmost limit.