IN CALIFORNIA 47 



species have nutritive value. Then the inner bark 

 both of the bottle species and its scarlet-flowered 

 cousin the maple-leaved Sterculia, or Australian 

 flame-tree, which we grow in California for orna- 

 ment, too, is a tough waterproof fiber a couple of 

 inches thick, that is good material for cordage and 

 mats. The West Indian tree that chocolate comes 

 from is of the Sterculia family, so you may take off 

 your hat to the bottle-tree. 



"As to coniferous exotics, California agrees well 

 with a number. One of them is India's world- 

 famous deodar, associated with her poets and mys- 

 tics for centuries. It seems queer to find this deni- 

 zen of Himalayan slopes up to ten or twelve thou- 

 sand feet, perfectly at home at low altitudes in 

 Southern California. As a matter of fact it is 

 rather a tender tree in America and won't stand any 

 great degree of frost. One of this State's most 

 famous arboreal sights is an avenue lined on both 

 sides with these magnificent conifers in Altadena. 

 Unfortunately, the man who set them out did not 

 make suitable allowance for the future growth of 

 the trees, and planted them rather too close to- 

 gether for proper effect when mature, so that the 

 trees are now crowding one another. 



"Now here's another conifer that will interest 

 you," said the Professor, stopping before an open 



