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FLORICULTURE. 



THE FUTURE OP FLORICULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



Essay by Emoey E. Smith, San Francisco. 



The word " horticulture," when used in European countries, is intended 

 to convey a general idea of all things pertaining to gardening pursuits. In 

 the United States, with our business intensity, there has been manifested 

 in the last few years, a strong tendency to separate horticulture into three 

 distinct classes, fruit growers, floriculturists, and vegetable or market 

 gardeners. 



California, which at this time is the most rapidly developing portion of 

 the United States, exhibits more decidedly than any other portion of the 

 country, this tendency to sever these mutual interests. 



To a certain extent, this is proving disastrous to our general horticultural 

 prosperity, by drawing the attention of the public exclusively to the stronger 

 division, "fruit growing," thus bringing about the dependence of the State 

 upon one branch of industry; notwithstanding statistics prove that coun- 

 tries which are the most truly prosperous have many resources. 



Vegetable gardening, one of the most important of healthful food sup- 

 plies, has suffered the most seriously, and so great has been the neglect of 

 this important industry, that we pay annual tribute to Chinese and Italian 

 peddlers (perhaps millions of dollars), to furnish us with the every day 

 food with which our own gardens should supply us. 



Floriculture, ornamentally speaking, has been one of the chief agents in 

 attracting to California the thousands of prosperous settlers who have built 

 our cities and redeemed much of the waste land from the jack rabbit and 

 coyote, and are now making it blossom and bring forth our luscious fruits, 

 which have become so famous in the various marts of the world. 



Deprive California of its beautiful climbers, palms, magnolias, and other 

 graceful evergreens, destroy the fragrant roses, and this famed country 

 would be a dreary waste in which but few would care to remain. This 

 contrast is drawn to show the vast importance of home and wayside adorn- 

 ment. Each ornamental tree and flower that is planted is of intrinsic 

 value to every industry. The spirit of adornment should be fostered by 

 careful thought and concentrated action; for the land of balmy odor-laden 

 breezes, radiant with sunshine, bedecked with graceful evergreens, and 

 brilliant with the varied hues of the rarest flowers, soft velvety lawns, and 

 orchards in which delicious fruits are ever ripe, is the ideal for which all 

 are searching, and which is within the possibilities of California, 



Floriculture in our State, commercially speaking, is now entering upon 

 a new era, and the probabilities are that in years to come it will rival and 

 be second only in commercial importance to the fruit industry. The State 

 Floral Society, which has recently been organized under the most auspi- 

 cious circumstances, has a future brilliant with educational possibilities, 

 which will play no unimportant part in the future development of the State, 

 and I bespeak for it the good will and hearty cooperation of all those who 

 would see our country the veritable paradise to which it has been so aptly 

 likened. It is the earnest expressed desire of this association to form floral 

 clubs in the various portions of the State to further the interest of this 



