244 CALIFORNIA GARDEN FLOWERS. 



Araucaria. These well-known greenhouse plants in wintry climates 

 are tall trees in the open air in California. The Norfolk Island pine 

 (excelsa) is seen everywhere in the coast and interior valleys and foot- 

 hills, lifting its stately form generally with less than half enough 

 space to grow in. The Bidwillii or "bunga-bunga" is a more satis- 

 factory tree under trying conditions of heat and drouth. 



Ash. This tree is found native in parts of Texas, Arizona, Nevada 

 and northern Mexico, varying considerably in size and appearance, but 

 it is everywhere a drought-resisting ash of great value and worth ex- 

 tensive planting, for it has demonstrated its success in the most trying 

 places in California. It is not, however, very rapid in growth. 



Birch. These well-known white bark, hardy trees are beautiful in 

 clumps or as single trees. The cut-leaved, creeping birch is a most 

 graceful and desirable tree and quite rapid in growth under ordinary 

 garden conditions. 



Bottle Tree (Sterculia diversifolia). This is the "bottle tree" of 

 Victoria, a stout, glabrous tree from 20 to 60 feet in height and having 

 a peculiar bottle-shaped trunk. It is a very striking tree in appearance 

 and has shown its adaptation to the coast region at least, especially 

 in southern California. Mr. Earnest Braunton of Los Angeles says 

 of it: "It is one of the cleanest of trees, of a bright, pleasing shade of 

 green, the trunk is straight and mast-like, the branches are not far 

 reaching and therefore not liable to injury by wind, and needs little if 

 any pruning; it is a fast grower when well supplied with water, yet 

 noted for its drought-resisting qualities. Its general outline is well- 

 nigh perfect, its carriage graceful; it does not grow so thick as to 

 harbor dead leaves and rubbish, yet enough to cast all needed shade; 

 seldom does one make abnormal growth, and it will not injure the 

 sidewalk by upheaval." 



Camphor. The camphor tree is a handsome, broad-leaved ever- 

 green, attaining large size and noticeable by the characteristic light 

 green of its foliage. It endures in California a temperature as low 

 as 20 Fahr., and is probably about as hardy as the olive. Thrifty 

 trees can be found in California valleys as far north as Shasta County. 

 It succeeds on a great variety of soils but makes its best growth on 

 rich, retentive soil. The trees can be readily grown from seed, which 

 should be planted in sandy loam in January or February, according 

 to the time when the soil becomes warm, covered about one-half inch 

 and kept moist but not wet. Growth in seed-boxes protected from 

 cold winds and with partial shade until the plants are in full leaf is 

 to be commended. From the boxes transplant into nursery rows early 

 in the fall, retaining the earth about the roots as much as possible and 

 using water if the soil is dry. The trees endure transplanting even 



