OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 3, 28 September 1907, Page 4

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

THE PACIFIC COAST. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) San Francisco, August 13. Tho Japanese question continues to ox'cite general interest. Outwardly, in the reported correspondence and conversation of officials, all is friendliness. Ambassador Aoki is emphatic in his statement that there is no "Japanese-American situation." "All this talk," he has said, "is a mere phantom creation of wild imagination." At a recent dinner in Now York given to Admiral Yamamoto by tho Japan Society, the Japaneso commander and Admiral Evans, representing tho United States, marched together at the hoad of a long procession of prominent peoplo, as if to give the lie direct to those who insist that war is imminent. Nevertheless .the war-talk continues,, and not oiily in, Japan and tho States, but in the capitals of Europe the situation is the subject- of extended comment. " A Russian paper, tho " Novoo Vremya," expresses delight at the present state of relations betweoii Japan and the United States, and says it "hopes for the worst." It remarks further: "Japan cleverly negotiated agreements and alliances with European Powers, warded off the possibility of a coalition against her, and narrowed her opponents down to a single enemy, this timo America, who, liko Russia, is at a disadvantage, lacking an army and navy on two oceans.. The American tenure of the Philippines is virtually 'on sufferance, at the will of Japan, but it will givo America time to prepare for their defence." German observers incline persistently to an apprehensive view regarding tho situation in tho Orient. "Unquestionably," says Count- Reventlow, tho German naval authority, "America confronts a situation of great difficulty. From a military view-point Japan is in a condition of preparedness, America is not. This would bo a cheap war for Japan, not involving any such outlay as was required for. tho Manchuria campaign. If it was really desired to tako decisive action it would hardly bo supposed that tho Japanese Government would be so foolish as to wait until the American fleet ■ reached tho Pacific." y France deprecates alarm. _" Le Temps" says: "Tho redistribution of tho fleet creates inquietude, yet the right of the United States to send its ships where it pleases is incontestable, and is no more to'bo criticised than tho redistribution of tho British fleet three years ago." England naturally holds a restraining hand upon Japan. In this connection it might bo well to recall the remark of tho Gorman Emperor that tho alliance botweon England and Japan was tho greatest mistake ever made by the white man, and that Europeans were foolish to allow tho yellow race to copy all their methods and learn all their secrets. I heard a New Zealander say that the wise thing for European nations to do was to combine and destroy the entire warnavy of Japan and tho East; that they must do so sooner or later in one form' or another. '( . In California the situation does not improve much. ' At San Rafael the other clay a crowd toro down a Japeneso flag that was used for decoration in an entertainment. In the Nortn Pacific, American revenue cutters have seized sovoral Japanese schooners caught seal poaching in Behring Sea. Tho Japanese acted in a most; defiant and insolent manner and as if by intention. Japanese spying at Hawaii and the Philippines and oven in tho States continues. It is known that tho -plans of the great floating dry dock Dpwey, in Alongapo, were stolen not long ago, and that explosives were actually found upon the structure. Tho Pacific, destroyer flotilla has .boon ordered from Cavito to Olongapo for what will probably bo a. long stay. Japaneso spies havo been arrested at San Diego and at other ports and navy yards in tho States. ; There is naturally a general activity at all the Government stations oh the Pacific. Tho Government is at least on guard. Tho transport Marron, with tho Twenty-fifth Infantry, _ has been ordered to tho Philippines.There' is a movement at Hawaii and all tho Pacific ports for tho improvement of wharves and harbours. The Government finds it advisable to manufacture ordnance at tho Benicia arsenal to a moderate extent, tne high price of materials and labour on tho Pacific coast having been such hitherto as to prevent the manufacture either of big'guns or of small arms in the Western arsenals. Ono good of tho war-liko talk has been to bring before tho peoplo most clearly tho necessity of hurrying forward the construction of tho Panama Canal. The transfer of dominant interest from Ahe Atlanta to tho Pacific is now taking place, in which general movement New Zcalaiid and Australia will of course share. I. 3/H '. " The Central American Republic. A now lifo is already stirring-' in tho fivo,States that make up Central America. An association has been formed in tho City of Mexico which is pledged to bring about fedoration of the five republics. Tho oath of protost which tho-members'tako is tho following:—"Do you, on your honour and conscience, protest that you -will preserve and cause to bo preserved the existence of tho Central American Committeo; to comply and causo to bo complied with the orders and dispositions emanating from it, respecting and oboying thorn without observation of any character, and work loyally, painstakingly and pa-, triotically to constitute m a singlo republic the fivo staf.es which, with independent lifo, now form Central America, putting into action to attain this noble and elevated aim your energies and all measures which aro at yo"r command." The head of tho association is Dr. Francisco Reyes, a Salvadoran. The greatest opposition to such a proposal comes from Guatemala, but Nicaragua, Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica are generally favourable to federation.. Tha Petaluma Hen. Several Now Zealanders woro callers recently at Petaluma, tho great poultry contro. Im'agino a town and a wholo district given up to poultry raising. A larger volumo of honcacklo goes up from this valley probably than from any other placo on tho earth's surface. A visitor- will see a large area —field after Ticld, yard after yard, dovotcd exclusively to chickoiis, the manufacture of eggs and broilers. As the White Leghorn predominates in tho landscape, tho sightis a pretty ono besides being businesslike. Petaluma. is _ thirty-five miles north of San Francisco and lies in a small valley of very ovoii temperature—the average winter tomporaturo being sixty degrees and tho summer soventy, tho result being that incubation continues tho year through. In 1906 tho export from Petaluma amounted to tho enormous total of 52,011,852 eggs and 479,20G chickens, not counting eggs _ sold or used for hatching or tho chicks, that aro sold by thousands direct from tho incubators. In ono month,. April 1906, there woro s#nt out not less than 7,503,084 eggs. • This is an astonishing record and is probably not equalled anywhere in tho world. In any case the Now Zealanders wore impressed by tho protluctivo capacity of the American hen, by no moans not the least causo of our prosperity.

in the Orchard. As with chickens at Fetaluma, the fruit industry in California is highly specialised. Nothing hut apples arc grown in the Pajaro Valley. The Santa Clara Valley, the seat of the greater orchard-industry in the United States, is devoted mainly to prunes. Oranges and lemons flourish in Southern California. Peaches, apricots, and grapes do well in the extensive San Joachin and Sacramento valleys. Peculiar conditions of soil and climate in each of these sections—in a country not unlike New Zealand in its physical configuration—make specialisation advantageous. Just now the cantcloupes are being marketed, and the peach canneries .are beginning operations. As usual there is a labor famine, a condition which the antagonism to the Japanese has this year aggravated. There are, perhaps, fifty thousand Japanese coolies in California,' and their chief employment has been in the orchards and fruit packing houses. California cuts off its nose to spite its face, for the coolies arc industrious and very capable. The White Fly Post. California was threatened this summor by an attack of the white fly, the most dreaded of all pests by orchard growers. ( Tho fly was discovered in the. orchards near Maryville, tho centre of the State, and prompt measures were taken to destroy it. Every treo or plant known to furnish food to tho fly was destroyed or defoliaged. It is estimated that seven thousand trees were so treated. For two years Maryville will have no oranges or lemons, but it is believed the 'fly has been driven from the orange belt. Thornless Cactus. I^"' Tho five varieties of thornless cacti created by Luther Burbank, tho wizard of the plant world, have been ready for distribution this summer. It will be recalled that Mr. Burbank, by breeding the thorns off from certain cacti, produced remarkable and permanent species suitable for food for man and animals in arid countries. Appeals to him for plants camo from all parts of the world, especially from Arrica, India, and Australia. Rutland, of Melbourne, has the 'exclusive) right of handling theso cacti in Australasia. Of all plants in the plant kingdom the cactus is tho weirdest, the most mysterious, and the most unusual. In appearance, origin, habits, development, and endurance it is unlike anything else. It thrives in regions devoid of moisture. It _ defies enemies fatal to other vegetation. With few exceptions tho plants are leafless, but bear instead formidable spines that protect them from man and animal alike. Millions upon millions of cactus plants of almost countless varieties grow over thousands of square miles of plains hi the United States and Mexico. In May and June they blossom, and tho grey desert becomes transformed in a night.into a garden of gorgeous flowering" plants—yellow, .white, pink, scarlet, purple, rose-col-oured, crimson, and variegated. The giant Sohuaro, leafless, growing like a column to a height of sixty or seventy feet, stands at frequent intervals upon the plains. Between ■these grows the elk-horn cactus, from ten to thirty feet high, looking like ghosts walking across tho desert. Scattered horo and there are huge green cylinders, called the'- barrelcactus, or the "Well of tho Desert"— because if the crown be cut water fills tho'cavity which is palatable and quenches thirst as well as water that comes from'the earth. Between these gigantic varieties are smaller kinds, pyramids of discs, little prickly balls, hedge-hog cactus, dumpling cactus, rat-tail cactus, melon cactus, old-man cactus—looking for all the world like a hairy man. > .'■'_,■ Nearly all varieties are covered with spines, and many with hairs in addition. These servo a three-fold purpose. They protect tho plant from the sun they hold off tho dust from its breathing pores; and they save it j from animals. The plants will with- 1 stand heat, dust, and drought for many years, some growing to be several' hundred years of ago. This is the plant which Mr. Burbank has succeeded in subduing to the uses of civilisation. Bit by, bit ■nan encroaches upon the desert — the last reserve of Nature.