Los
Angeles County
Biographies
HAUS E. RASMUSSEN
The Papaya Nursery at Santa Monica
is owned and conducted by H. E. Rasmussen, a horticulturist of state-wide
prominence and a pioneer in his particular field. He was born December 18, 1870, on Fyn Island,
known as the “Garden of Denmark.” The
father served in the Danish Army and in recognition of his gallantry on the
field of battle was awarded the silver cross.
In times of peace he was an inn keeper and also served as a member of an
arbitration committee before which all cases were reviewed, and settled in many
instances, before going to a high tribunal.
This system has been maintained in the rural districts for generations.
Born and reared in a flower and
fruit region, H. E. Rasmussen naturally turned to horticultural pursuits,
manifesting a tendency in that direction when but three years old. Between the ages of fourteen and eighteen he
attended high school, working in vacation periods and after school hours on the
home place, comprising an acre of land, his duties being to care for the
vegetable garden and the fruit. Through
study and experience he qualified as a landscape gardener and laid out the
grounds of several large estates, later having entire charge of some of them.
After completing the required term
of military service in the Danish Army, Mr. Rasmussen left his native land and
in company with his brother made a tour of Europe, mostly on foot, crossing
many high mountains in his travels. He
visited France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Belgium and wrote interesting
accounts of these trips for his hometown paper.
Arriving in the United States in 1908 at Seattle, Washington, he
remained there until December, 1916, engaging in landscape work and the nursery
business. During this time he helped promote
school gardens and street planting and was instrumental in organizing the
Washington Rose Society. From here he
went to Florida to make plans for an international park for Mrs. Potter Palmer,
near Sarasota. The entrance of the
United States into the World War prevented carrying out this plan. After visiting the large towns on the
Atlantic seacoast, he was associated with the development of the town site of Milstead near Atlanta, Georgia. Here a modern water system, at the cost of
$75,000, was installed and plans were made for a sanitary sewerage system. Shortly after the signing of the Armistice,
he went to Los Angeles, where he started in business in March, 1919, and became
widely known as a landscape gardener. He
did considerable work of that character in Beverly Hills, planting papayas on
the Bishop Ranch near Goleta, also in the city of San Diego and in the
Coachella Valley.
In 1920 Mr. Rasmussen came to Santa
Monica and worked at landscaping until 1929 when he established the Papaya
Nursery, pioneering in this field. He is
best known in California for his success in developing papaya plants. These he raises from
the seed at his nursery and then starts the plants in a hothouse. He was the first to grow the fruit from the
papaya for commercial purposes in California.
This fine fruit retails for from fifteen cents to one dollar per pound. A tropical fruit, it resembles the muskmelon
and is easily digested. It will not
injure the weakest stomach and is prescribed by physicians. The eight-inch tree will grow to five feet in
two months and from eleven to twelve feet in four months. The fruit grows in clusters, a tree one year
old producing from fifty to one hundred and fifty green papayas, which requires
from twelve to fifteen months to ripen.
There is a large and steadily increasing demand for the papaya fruit and
Mr. Rasmussen has developed an extensive business in this line. He exhibits have been awarded prizes at
various fruit and flower shows in the state.
Through intensive study and experimentation Mr. Rasmussen has acquired
an authoritative knowledge of that branch of horticulture science in which he
specializes and he was chosen one of the speakers for Luther Burbank Day in
March, 1932, a ceremonial held in Balboa Park.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. III, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 321-323, Clarke Publ.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN
NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPIES