) THE GARDEN BOOK OF CALIFORNIA 



To say that one has visited a plantation of palms, or even 

 to say that one has seen and rejoiced in the beauty of 1 70 

 varieties of palms in a California garden, does not apparently 

 convey much to the average mind. Ever since I visited 

 Montecito, in February, 1903, I have been repeating this 

 statement, only to be looked at with a mild unconcern (a 

 way my friends have of calming my enthusiasms) and an 

 "Ah, yes; really so many?" but no one seems to realize what 

 this means, what this may mean, to the future of California. 



Great collections of any sort, but especially of plants, are 

 likely to be looked upon by the general public as simply a 

 harmless sort of fad indulged in by the owner, and unless the 

 possessor becomes suddenly deprived of his means, and 

 either sells or exhibits, and thereby proves the commercial 

 value of his collection, even his next door neighbor can rarely 

 be induced to comment in other than a serio-comic manner 

 regarding "the fad and the faddist." I think, however, that 

 any lover of plants, and especially any lover of our Cali- 

 fornia Beautiful, would only need to be led into the entrance 

 paths of Mr. J. W. Gillespie's fine thirty-five-acre place at 

 Montecito and to cast his eyes over the waving palm leaves, 

 and down through the graceful scene formed of oaks and 

 palms, and tree-ferns and vines, with here and there a bril- 

 liant bit of color to relieve the green, immediately to recog- 

 nize that in introducing these rare ornamental trees and 

 demonstrating so thoroughly their absolute adaptability to 

 our climate and soil, Mr. Gillespie has bestowed a bene- 

 faction upon the State, which may have even more meaning, 



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