In the Meiji Era (1868–1912), Hokkaido was a new land in Japan. Also the land was big, so there were many farms. Most schools were farming schools. Smith Girls' School had some farming and Christian education. In 1890, Smith introduced lilacs to Sapporo from the United States. Now, lilac is the official tree of Sapporo and the city has a lilac festival every year in downtown Odori Park.