OR THE PAST six years the Bureau of plant industry of the Department of Agriculture has been conducting experiments with Egyptian cotton in the neighborhood of Yuma. After several years of selection and acclimatization, these cottons, which during the first few years did not seem quite adapted to the conditions, have shown that they can be grown profitably in the Colorado Valley. Last year a yield of 990 pounds per acre was obtained, and was favorably commented on by New England buyers and manufacturers. who estimated its value at 2012 cents per pound at a time when American middling upland cotton was selling at 122 cents per pound. T. H. Kearney, the physiologist in charge of the experiments, suggests that farmers should try some of the acclimatized Arizona cotton seed in comparison with freshly-imported seed. Though he believes that Egyptian cotton will prove a valuable crop in the Southwest, he recommends farmers to begin in a small way and learn how to grow and market the cotton before expending considerable time and money on it. Cotton must be picked by hand, and so requires a large amount of labor; it must be ginned and baled before it can be sent to market, and both these processes require expensive machinery. But Egyptian cotton, when cultivated properly, yields profitable returns and not only requires a small amount of water, but is also rather more resistent to alkali than other field crops are. The neighborhood of Bakersfield is well suited to the cultivation of cotton.

Many years ago James Fisher, of the firm of Haggin, Tevis & Fisher, planted 640 acres of cotton in Kern County. The cotton flourished and yielded an excellent crop, but, on account of the exactions of the men engaged to pick it, was never gathered. Labor, however, is by no means so scarce in California now as it was then, and there is no probability that a cotton crop would perish nowadays for lack of men to pick it.

CALIFORNIA WINE-GROWERS AND THE TARIFF.

California wine-growers complain that they are at a serious disadvantage in competition with foreign growers, the cost of production in California being 25 to 30 per cent higher than in France and Italy, the great wine-producing countries of Europe, and the freight rate to New York being six cents per gallon. They complain further that bottles containing wine imported from abroad are not taxed, whereas empty bottles, which must be obtained because suitable ones cannot be made in California, pay an import tax. A committee appointed by the Governor of California recently presented these and other facts to the Ways and Means Committee of Congress at Washington, D. C., and received so kindly and attentive a hearing that they confidently expect the revocation of the reciprocity agreements now existing with foreign countries and the enactment of measures more beneficial to the Californian grower.

Under the Dingley tariff law the duty was 40 cents a gallon on dry and 50 cents a gallon on fortified foreign wines. Reciprocity agreements with foreign nations

N

EARLY JUNE, 1909, a trip to the Northwest and and the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was undertaken by about one hundred of the most active and publicspirited citizens of California, mostly of San Francisco, under the auspices of the California Promotion Committee, the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, and other organizations of California.

The train was composed of about fourteen Pullman cars, with two diners and one dynamo car for the electric service. The train was equipped with complete telephone service, working between between the cars, so that a person in any part of the train could telephone to one in another part, and so arranged that upon the arrival at any city immediate connection was made with the telephone service of that city. The train was also equipped with wireless telegraphy, in order that messages could be constantly received and sent at all times and places during the trip. The further comforts of barber, baths, valet service, clerks, stenographers and buffet cars were at the disposal of the travelers. The expedition was conducted in true club fashion, all tipping being barred, so that all should receive equal service.

The personnel included either the proprietor or recognized head of the enterprise or institution represented. Every Every financial, manufacturing and trade interest of a great metropolitan city and State had a representative.

Northward a stop was made at the beautiful Shasta Springs, near Mount Shasta, giving an opportunity to the party to visit this attractive California mountain resort.

On the arrival of the train at Seattle, it was parked, and during the time there

was used as a hotel. During three days at Seattle the party was received and entertained by the civic bodies of that city, and the commissioners of the AlaskaYukon-Pacific Exposition in a most hospitable and lavish style. The first day was "California Promotion Day," the delegation was escorted to the Fair, shown the principal features and tendered an elaborate luncheon in the New York building, as guests of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Trustees of the AlaskaYukon-Pacific Exposition, succeeded by speeches made by the members of the entertaining party, as well as members of the California delegation. Subsequently a reception was held in the California. Building at the Fair, the party being received by Governor Gillett of the State of California.

The day following was spent mostly in sight-seeing, and was concluded by a State banquet in the evening in the New York building, given by the same hosts. Likewise, speeches were made by various representative citizens of Seattle and of the delegation, including Governor Gillett. The key note of the speeches throughout the trip at all places was friendship, appreciation, co-operation and a general work-together spirit by the people of the Pacific States and the communities composing them; the setting aside of all petty jealousies, envies and animosities and the understanding that concerted action outside of purely local matters was and is for the best interests of the people of the coast. The furtherance of friendly and neighborly relations, the co-operation of the various Congressional delegations in Washington on matters pertaining to the good of the people of the Pacific Coast. The demand, support and maintenance of a larger and more permanent Naval Fleet on the Pacific waters and further national support and subsidy to American shipping in order to make it possible to compete

with the other powers that do aid and subsidize their vessels.

Next day the California delegation being hosts and the Seattle people guests, a trip was made on one of the Sound steamers all over the principal sights of Puget Sound, a stop being made at the great navy yard at Bremerton, and an opportunity being given to inspect the Government works, fortifications and warships in and about there.

Returning to San Francisco, the party stopped for a three hours' stay at Tacoma, where they were entertained under the auspices of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade, being conducted over the sights of the city in specially chartered trolley cars.

Subsequently, the train proceeded to Portland, where the delegation were the guests of the Portland Commercial Club, and after being shown the many attractions of the "Rose City," the party was entertained at a banquet, as the guests of this club, after which at 11 o'clock at night they started on their return journey.

A stop was made at the thriving town of Medford, in Southern Oregon, where the delegation was conveyed in automobiles by the good citizens to the neighboring town of Ashland, twelve miles distant, giving them an opportunity to see the beautiful vistas and wonderful agricultural possibilities of the great Rogue River Valley.

Again on board the train at Ashland, a run was made back to San Francisco.

The conclusions reached by those participating in this expedition might be epitomized as follows: San Francisco, from its population, position and harbor facilities, is, and will remain for a long time, the great metropolis of the vast Pacific Coast. This statement is without any disparagement to the successful, flourishing and active business centers of the great Northwest. The delegation was greatly impressed with the prosperity, life and activity that seemed to be exhibited on every side in cities visited. The general tone of business was good, and contentment, satisfaction and hope of the inhabitants seemed complete. Industries, manufactures and trade seemed to have entirely recovered from the recent depression, and the communities seemed to be wide awake, alive and hopeful of the future. The spirit of neighborly goodwill, of brotherhood and co-operation, was gladly welcomed on all sides, and the idea promulgated that the interests of the people of the Pacific Coast in all matters of their larger concerns were one and inseparable.

In the minds of the fortunate participants of the trip there will be left a pleasant, lasting and educated memory, the effect, outgrowth and result of which will be most profitable to the people of the vast empire of the Pacific Coast.

LONG THE roadside, close to a fountain, where running water bubbled from the mouth of a bronze figure, clear as crystal, cool and refresh

ing, stood a form, haggard and bent. Under his arm, a bundle--by his side a pack, which no doubt contained all his earthly possessions.

The old man's hair was grey, long and thin, and as I cast a glance in his direction his eyes turned to meet my gaze; there was a kindly expression and a nod of recognition. The old man was an In

dian of the early type, who from his early childhood had resided within the confines of the region around San Francisco Bay, and most of his life had been spent in San Jose, which is located in the Santa Clara Valley at the southern end of the Bay of San Francisco.

The old Mission at Santa Clara, three miles from San Jose, about which he lingered, was the one home spot dear to his heart, for at this place he had been comforted many times by the faithful padres, both materially and spiritually.

I inquired how many years he had lived in this country, to which he replied, "I remember back to the days when no white man lived in all this valley," and, with a sweep of the hand, he described a circle within the mountains, which rise on almost every side, except where there is an open cut in the chain to the north, where the wonderful San Francisco Bay, a beautiful body of salt water, stretches for miles, with its shimmering ripples of silvery sheen.

Sometimes these simple people, who were not of the warlike type, lived in the mountains where the brook trout lured them in the summer months, and again in the valley.

For many years, their lodges were pitched at a spot in the northern limits of San Jose, now occupied by a tourist hotel, and along the river banks are buried his father and mother, while many of his tribe lie resting the eternal rest on a hillside facing the setting sun, near Mission San Jose.

In his young days, life was a pleasure; the land furnished food and shelter, and there was always an abundance of pure, sparkling water fresh from the mountain streams which wind their way to the ocean through this peaceful valley.

"What a change has come over all, now