48 WITH THE FLOWERS AND TREES 



gate, and glancing into the avenue of a private es- 

 tate, where some tall stiff leaved evergreens were 

 growing, with poker like branches set in dish-like 

 whorls. 



"See anything familiar about those old hundred- 

 footers? You remember the little Norfolk Island 

 pines we used to buy in pots back East to put on the 

 center table, and see that the furnace fire didn't go 

 out overnight or they would freeze to death? Well, 

 these are Norfolk Island pines, only out here the 

 climate permits them to grow in the open, and grow 

 they do. They are natives of one of the South 

 Pacific Islands that Captain Cook discovered. 

 Araucaria excelsa the botanists call this species. 

 You might almost call it the Santa Barbara pine out 

 here that town is so fond of it. It is curious we 

 have three species of Araucaria commonly planted 

 in California and each is from a different part of 

 the globe. Besides the one from Norfolk Island, 

 there is one from Australia and the third is from 

 Chile. They are all characterized by stiff, prickly 

 leaves crowded along the horizontal or slightly 

 drooping branches. The Australian species is 

 Araucaria Bidwillii or bunya-bunya as the Aus- 

 tralians call it. That is one across the way that 

 beautiful pyramid of green rising from the very 



