164 
SEMI-TROPIC CALIFORNIA . 
gjorliqulliire. 
ORNAMENTAL PRUNING. 
The idc*M I have to offer mi ornamental 
horticulture may seem anti no dtfnbt me 
runic ton professional In ml.scape gardener; 
hut they may be suggestive townie of your 
renders’ Tlm useful is in danger of 
monopolizing our diseuMiions to the entire 
exclusion of tho ornamental. To appreci¬ 
ate the latter we must remember that it 
lias its sphere of usefulness. 
To make grounds bunutiful, agenernl,uf'- 
finito plan must be adopted and followed. 
Design must be apparent, or tho lack nl it 
will bo too evident III nothing is this 
more true than ill pruning. Of couisn, 
there should be no disputing about (afttos 
in so fur as they are necessarily matters of 
prejudice. But there is Home roam for 
reason in taste; and indeed wo may Con¬ 
clude that tho morn reason is applied k> 
taste, the more refined taste will become. 
Many people claim that a tree should be 
left to grow in an entirely nutuml form, 
for tlm reason that nothing can lie. more 
beautiful than nature itself. That is a 
good major premise, but then 1 is nu 
minor premise to justify the conclusion. 
It is true Ihtit we can not. improve on the 
beauty Of nature; but it is not true that, a 
limited space of ground twin lit made to 
look like nature. Art is certain to make 
its appearance. Wu must, have walks and 
diives and streets. Nature has none. If 
we have trees in our streets, they must bo 
along tho sides. This uecessilates straight 
lows,which do not. resemble nature. Driv es 
are nearly tlm same, and walks not much 
different. You can not imitate nature. 
You can only harness her to yntir art. 
Now wo have a rule to guide us. Riant 
your trees and prune them in such a way 
us to gain the most beauty. Look at your 
tree. Does it please you ? Doesit please 
your neighbor ? If so. Id it alone. If it 
branches too low, cut the lower limbs off. 
If it is not Bynmioti'ieul, prune it into 
shape. 1 
Let us apply this rule to a few familiar 
cases. A popper I t ee branches from the 
ground up if let alone; but the general 
taste is that it looks bettor pruned up ten 
or even twenty feet. A cypres* trap 
branches from the ground and grows a 
tolerably compact and symmetrical top. 
Do you think those closely clipped and 
shaven, lumpy cypress trees Unit orna¬ 
ment (?) so many door-yards in such large 
numbers arc beautiful? I do not, ami 
that, is the reason J have troubled von 
with this article. 
AMBER SUGAR CANE. 
The attention at I meted to beet Hiigui 
and its culture during the lust year had 
the effect of stimulating inquiry into the 
culture of cane. It wnfl observed that in 
countries where sugar is produced it is 
immensely profitable, and it. war- found 
that good sugar cane had been produced 
in Lob Angeles county. A considerable 
number of men commenced experiments, 
and tho awards of the committee on enne, 
syrup, and sugar show t.lmt the industry 
has reason to feel encouraged, as far as 
i quality goes. 
1 Mr." J. P. Fleming, of Downey, was 
awarded the first, uml .7. W . Silkwbaa, of 
Westminster', the second premium 00 
' cone, though the committee make conspic¬ 
uous mchl.inu of A sample exhibited by Sir. 
-I D. Clapp, of rasadonn, the premium 
1 articles having been raised on moist, the 
Other on mesa land. The committee re¬ 
port that the cane stalks were from nine to 
leu fed in height, thick and rich insacelia- 
rijio mutter, 
F A. Gates & Son received the first 
premium on sugar And syrup, and Thomas 
Dickerson the second on syrup. 
This year's work proves that this section 
of countiy will produce first class syrup 
and sugar The only question remaining 
is ns to the quantity per acre and conse 
qiient profit. _ _ 
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 bo so near alike in amount, in 
beauty, in variety, and in quality. From 
this it Would appear that some localities 
are not. so closely confined to specialties 
as lias been generally supposed. 
BEET SUGAR. 
Nadeau and Geunort, having 
FLAX AT THE FAIR. 
The exhibition of flax at the fair of 1880 
wan much greater than heretofore. Citi¬ 
zens of California are obliged to handle 
mOAfc of their grain iu sacks. It. has been 
the custom of ft ring of speculators in Sim 
Francisco to get lip a corner on sacks each 
year, just, before harvest. The people "f 
the Slate me gelling tired paving the At¬ 
lantic States for the sacks ami the ring at 
San Francisco for I heir corner, no t hey have 
decided to raise their 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 u much-felt want. 
The exhibition at Hie fair included seed, 
straw, mid tow There were eight entries 
of seed, arid several of straw and tow. On 
seed. Mr. Eads, of Pomona, took the first, 
and Messrs. Clapp iV Graves, of C'entinrln. 
the second premium. On straw Am Ellin, 
of F.l Monte, took tlm first, and Tlmilum 
Wiggins, of Azusa, the second premium. 
On tow, Asa Ellis took the premium, the 
committee staling that it showed good 
quality for making both bags and paper. 
The localities show Ibftt il is u product of 
both low and high lands. 
W00DHEAD & GAY'S DISPLAY. 
These liberal gentlemen, who are fruit 
dealers, offerfld tho special prize of $25 
fur tho finest display of California fruits, 
and computed very ably for the premium. 
Their woinrcH were limited only to tho 
State, though of course, practically, to the 
southern counties. That I lu-ir exhibit was 
very tine is shown by the fact that iu award 
in;; the piize tho committee found the 
mu tier unmoved down to 1’aaadena, San 
Diego, and AYoodhettd & Guv. Tin ar¬ 
tistic effect of their arrangement was tine, 
ami attracted the uttfitltiuu nf every passer 
It owed florae of its attraction to the fact 
tlmt it was known to lie an epitome of the 
fruits of the district. It consisted of grapes, 
apples, pears, peaches, dranges, lemons, 
limes, Japan pttnsimmmiK, figs, hemes, 
quinces 
nuts, put-plants, and Heeds. 
Messrs. 
dissolved partnership, liiude separate ex¬ 
hibitions of beet-sngar products. Mr. 
Genuert lmd his elaborate set of samples 
of sugar in thirty-six different stages of 
refinement, showing the highest possibili¬ 
ties of beets ns saccharine producers. 
He laid drawings of a complete factory ns 
used in Germany ami at Rockford, for¬ 
merly I'hntswoilh, Illinois, at which place 
it wus visited by the writer. He exhibited 
engravings of two vuiieties of sugar beets 
iu their greatest perfection in Germany, 
and living samples of (he same varieties 
grown iu Los Angeles county surpassing 
the Gurmnii production in size and quality. 
Ho added samples of German kiln-dried 
beets, which looked black, hard, and 
uninviting; and beautiful, flexible samples 
of beets dried in Hie sun here. One lino 
sample was harvested. (diced, and sun- 
dried ill ten hours at the Duarte, October 
16,1880. 
Mr. Nnclenu exhibited sugar-beet seed 
of fine quality; green sugar beets of the 
best quality; beets kiln -dried uml sun- 
dried, showing the superiority of the sun- 
dried article; and samples of sugar made 
from green beets, from ltilu-diieil beets, 
and from sun-dried beets; the latter being 
plainly the best. The results of this v car’s 
work are most. satisfactory in showing our 
possibilities, 
PAVILION PERIODS. 
Fusudenu showed the only plate of 
Ktrtiwbem'eH at the fair. 
Mr. It, It. Bryant informed us that lie 
could guaranty his wife’s jsby■ 
said, 11 1 raised the fruit uml 
tlm jelly.” if*. 
woodliend and Guy exhibited a A tear 
of Wakefield pear. 7$ inches in length, 
1 M inches in circumference of the lovvu 
end, and It) inches in longitudinal circum- 
Thero was a very creditable display of 
fruit made by Mr. It. It. Bryant of Los 
Angeles; artistically arranged and of the 
finest quality, it deserved Us several 
for lie 
Sally made 
premiums. .. . „ 
Mr J E. Hollenbeck a grapevine ldin 
H.crailcl.oEl Molina Olio hundred and our 
years old ami loaded with Mission tfpP#* 
attracted much aMentmu. Its trunk was 
. - 
first 
was 
the 
i i iriiw'hcr in Kentucky and Hie 
- 1 - sehoul-leiu tier m j* ■ -!■’ lUe 
ehestuulK, almonds, Walnuts, pen- great gmudluther ui ’ 
exhibitor. 
