164 
SEMI- TROPIC CA LI FORE I A . 
gjorlitfitlluit, _ 
ORNAMENTAL PRUNING. 
The ideas I lmve to offer on ornamental 
horticulture may seem ami no tloul't «ro 
crude to a professional landneapc gardener; 
but they may be suggestive to «0Oie tff your 
readers". The useful is in danger of 
monopolizing our discussions to tin entne 
exclusion of the ornamental. To apprem- 
ato the latter we must remember that it 
has it.s sphere of useful ness. 
Tomukegrounds beautiful, agem-ral,de¬ 
finite plan must be adopted and followed. 
Design must be apparent, or I hr- luck of it 
will bo too evident. In nothing is this 
more true than in pruning. Of course 
there should he no disputing about tastes 
in so far as they are necessarily matins of 
prejudice. But there is some room for 
reason in taste; and indeed we may Con¬ 
clude that the more reason is applied to 
taste, the more refined taste will Imcume. 
Many people claim that a tree should be 
left to grow in an cut indy nalinal form, 
for the reason that nothing can be more 
beautiful than nature it s* If. That is a 
good major premise, but liiere is no 
minor premise to justify tint conclusion. 
It is true that wu can not improve on the 
beauty of nature; but it is not true that u 
limited space of ground can lie made to 
look like nature. Art is certain to make 
its appearnuoe. AVe must, have wtdksuml 
drives and streets. Nature lias iiuue. If 
we have trees in our streets they must be 
along the sides. This necessitates atmight 
rows.which do not resemble nature. Drivc-s 
are nearly the sume, anil walks uot much 
different. You ran not imitate nature. 
A im can only harness her to your ail. 
Now we have a rule to guide us. Plant 
your trees and prime them in such a way 
as to gain the most beauty. Look at your 
tree. Does it please you ? Does it please 
your neighbor? If so, let it alone. If it 
brunches too low, cut the lower limbs off 
If it is uot symmetrical, prune it into 
shape. 
Let, us apply this rule to a few familiar 
eases. A pepper tree branches from tIn- 
ground up if let alone; but lie- general 
taste is that it looks better pruned up ten 
or even twenty feet. A cvpress Iren 
branches from the ground and grows a 
tolerably compact and symmetrical top. 
Do you think those closely dipped and 
shaven, lumpy cypress trees that orna¬ 
ment (?) so many door-yards in such large 
numbers are beuutUlil? I do not, and 
that is the reason 1 have troubled you 
with this article. 
AMBER SUGAR CANE. 
The attention attracted to beet sugar 
audits culture during the last yi-ur hud 
the effect of stimulating inquiry into the 
culture of euue. It was observed that in 
countries where sugar is produced it is 
immensely profitable, and it was found 
that good sugar cuiie bud been produced 
in Los Angeles county. A considerable 
number of in«u commenced experiments, 
and the awards of the committee on cane, 
Kvnip, and snyar show tlml the industry 
bus reason to feel encouraged, as far as 
1 quality goes. 
Mr. J. P. Fleming, of Downey, Was 
awarded the first, and J. AV. Silkwuod, of 
AVostiniiistei. the Reeoud premium on 
cum-, t luiugh the committee make conspic¬ 
uous mention of a .srijnple exhibited by Air, 
J. B Clapp, of Pasadena, the premium 
a it idles haring been raised on moist, the 
other Oil mesa land. The cainthiltoe re¬ 
port tint the cane stalks Were from nine to 
ten feel in height, thick aud rich in saccha¬ 
rine matter, 
F A. Gatos A Soil received the first 
premium on sugar and syrup, and Thomas 
Dickerson the second on syrup. 
This year's work proves that this section 
of cumnlry will produce first-class syrup 
and sugar. The only question remaining 
is as to the quantity ’ per acre and comm 
qiiciit profit. _ 
FLAX AT THE FAIR, 
The exhibition of flax at the fair of I SHU 
waH much greater thnu heretofore. Liii 
zens of California are obliged to handle 
most of their grain in sacks. It has been 
the custom of a ring of speculators in Sun 
Frau cisCO to get, up a conicr on sacks each 
year, just before harvest. The people of 
the State are getting tired paying the At¬ 
lantic States for the Backs and the ring at 
San Francisco for their corner, 80 they have 
decided to raise llieir own flax, and it is 
proposed to make the penitentiary a bag 
factory; this would not come into competi¬ 
tion with any established industry, and 
would supply n much-felt want. 
The exhibition at the fair included seed, 
straw, and tow. There were eight entries 
of seed, aud several of straw and tow. On 1 
seed. Air. Eads, of Pomona, took the first, 
and Messrs, Clapp A Graves, of Cetdinela, 
the second premium. On straw, Asa Ellis, 
of El Monte, took the first, aud Thomas 
Wiggins, of Azusa, the second premium. 
On tow. Asa Ellis took the premium, the 
committee stating that it showed good 
quality for making both hags and paper, 
Till* localilies show that it is a product of 
both low and high lands. 
WOODHEAD & GAY S DISPLAY. 
These liberal geul lemen, who are fruit 
dealers, offered tli- special prize of §26 
for the finest display of California fruits, 
and competed very ably for the premium, j 
Their sources were limited only to the 
Slate, though of course, practically, to the 
southern count ies. That their exhibit was 
very fine is shown by the fact that in award 
ing the prize, tin- committee found the 
mailer imnowed down to Pasadena, San 
I go, and Woodlu-iid & Gay. The ar¬ 
tistic effect of their arrangement was fine, 
and attracted the uttentionof every passer. 
It. owed some of it* attraction to the fact 
l lint it was known to lie an epitome* of the 
fruits of the district It consisted o| grapes, 
apples, pears, pouches, oranges, lemons, 
limes, Japan pei'sjmrnoiih, tigs, buries, 
quinces, chi-idiii its, almonds, walnuts, pea¬ 
nuts. pot plant und see-du, 
It is remarkable that an exhibition of 
fruits drawn from such wide sources, one 
drawn from San Diego county, and one 
drawn from one settlement., Pasadena, 
should be so near alike in amount, in 
beauty, in variety, and in quality. From 
ibis it would appoar that, some localities 
are not. so closely confined to specialties 
us bus buen generally supposed. 
BEET SUGAR. 
Messrs. Nadeau and Gennert, having 
dissolved piirtiioiidiip, made separate ex¬ 
hibitions of lmct-foigar products. Mr. 
Gennert had his elaborate set of samples 
of sugar in thirty-six different stages of 
refinement show ing the highest possibili¬ 
ties of beets ns saccharinn producers. 
He had drawings of a complete factory as 
used in Germany and at Rockford, for¬ 
merly Chats worth, Illinois, at which place 
it. was visited by the writer. He exhibited 
engravings of (wo varieties of sugar beets 
in Ibcir greatest perfection in Germany, 
and living samples of the same varieties 
grown in Los Angeles county surpassing 
the German production in size und quality. 
He milled samples of Gurruun kiln-dried 
beets, Which looked black, hard, and 
uninviting; and benutiful, flexible samples 
of heels dried in the sun here. One fine 
sample wus harvested, sliced, nnd sun- 
dried in ten hours at the Duarte, October 
in, i .SHI), 
Air, Nadeau exhibited sugar-beet seed 
of fine quality; green sugar beets of the 
best quality; beets kiln-dried and sun- 
tlried, showing tin: superiority of the sun- 
llried article; and samples of sugar made 
from gieen beets, from kiln-dried beets, 
and toon sun-dried beets; the bitter being 
plainly the best,. The results of this year’s 
work ino most satisfactory in showing our 
possibilities. 
PAVILION PERIODS. 
Pasadena allowed the only plate of 
at raw berries at the fair. 
Mr. It. R. Bryant informed ns that be 
could guaranty his wife's jelly, for he 
said, *• I raised Hie fruit and Sally made 
the jelly." 
AVooilhend and Gay exhibited a A'icar 
of Wakefield pear, inches in length, 
1 SJ inches in circumference of the lower 
end, and 1V) inches in longitudinal circum¬ 
ference. 
'There was a very creditable display of 
fruit made by Air. R. R. Bryant, of Los 
Angeles; artistically arranged and of the 
finest quality, it deserved its several 
premiums. 
Mr. J. E. Hollenbeck's grapevine from 
the i audio .El Aloliuo one hundred and four 
! years old mid loaded with Mission grapes, 
attracted much attention. Its trunk was 
nhimt eight inches in diameter. 
A Justice's docket kept by Jos. Dmuplan 
of Virginia, in wined. George Washington 
appears ns plaintiff in ten suits, attracted 
much attention. Mi*. Doniplmn was the 
find school-teacher in Kentucky and the 
great grandfather of I. J. Frazee, the 
exhibitor. 
