Sunday, March 1, 2009

San Diego 1915: Southern California Model Farm and Citrus Grove.....

Situated at the south end of the Panama-California Exposition's Alameda, adjacent to the exposition Fire Station, the Southern California Model Farm and Citrus Grove was an outdoor annex of the Southern California Counties Building. Covering a total area of thirteen acres, the extensive open-air exhibit consisted of a five-acre model farm, a two-acre demonstration field, and a six-acre citrus grove. The centerpiece of the model farm was an eight-room model bungalow, located on the west side of the Alameda, fronted by a spacious lawn. The stucco-walled low-roofed bungalow represented the popular style of homes currently being constructed throughout Southern California, and contained a spacious living and dining room, kitchen, pantry, sewing room, two bedrooms, bathroom, and two large screened-porches. At either side of the bungalow were situated large groves of deciduous fruit trees of various types; behind which were located flower and vegetable gardens, a four-room superintendent's cottage, store house, garage, poultry yards, and a field for demonstrating modern farm machinery. Located across from the model farm, on the east side of the Alameda, was the model citrus grove which contained numerous varieties of orange, lemon, and grapefruit trees. The entire exhibit demonstrated what could be accomplished within a period of two years on a typical Southern California farm.

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