62 ANNUAL REPORT 



plenty of water, with iron pipes laid all over the grounds for 

 irrigation, but of course I have to pay well for it all. 



There is more building now going on here than in any city of 

 its size I ever saw, and you know I have seen both St. Paul 

 and Minneapolis grow up from smaller towns than this now is. 

 The climate, the weather, the beauty of scenery, the bay, the 

 ocean, the best harbor on the Pacific coast all tend, with the 

 fruits and flowers, to make the place attractive. I have seen 

 bananas growing here, heliotrope and roses, morning glories and 

 many other flowers are common in most yards; such geraniums as 

 we saw yesterday and such cactus as we saw growing wild; two 

 were at least fifteen feet high and one I should judge was twenty- 

 five feet high! 



Pardon me for thus intruding upon your valuable time, but I 

 so enjoy the bright flowers and warm sunshine after leaving St. 

 Paul November 17th in that terrible snow storm and lying snow 

 bound all night at Manly Junction, Iowa, that I can not help 

 speaking of it and the contrast. I do not think after this you 

 will wish me to write anything for the meeting, but will try and 

 send some fruit for exhibition if you and Mr. Elliot wish it and 

 think it would be of interest to the Saci«ty, as you know you all 

 have my best wishes for the success of the Minnesota State Hor- 

 ticultural Society. Yours sincerely, 



Truman M. Smith. 



FROM L. M. FORD. 



San Diego, Cal., Jan. 7, 18S7. 

 Friend Hillman: 



I have just received, by way of Los Angeles, where we lived 

 until four weeks ago, your program for meeting of State Horti- 

 cultural Society. 



Mr. Brimhall, who also lives here, suggested the idea of writ- 

 ing you something, which please find inclosed. Do what you 

 like with it, and tell all my old friends, including the father of 

 Minneapolis (Col. Stevens), to come down and see us. 



Truman M. Smith is here, as well as Brimhall, Quinn and 

 many others. 



We all sympathize with those who live in a land of blizzards, 

 cyclones, and thunder storms. Yours truly, 



L. M. Ford. 



P. S.— I forgot to include mosquitoes and bedbugs, which do 

 not trouble us here. 



