38 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



year and yet there is steadfastness enough about the phenomena to 

 enable residents to agree among themselves as to what localities 

 are "in the frost" and what are out of it. Upon this decision de- 

 pends the business risk in planting out beans, peppers, tomatoes, 

 etc., for winter growth, and it is upon such fields that the frost, 

 not always content with the local definition of its limits, draws the 

 dead line which the morning sun brings into such fateful promi- 

 nence. Of course the grower is not necessarily content to accept 

 such natural boundaries of the thermal belt. He can materially 

 change it all by frost-fighting, but the discussion of that matter 

 belongs to another chapter. 



It is important to know as nearly as possible the beginning 

 and end of the frost free period in each locality, and data to assist in 

 determining this fact are given in the chapter on the Planting 

 Season. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE OF THE CALIFORNIA CLIMATE. 



It is a striking fact that winter storage of fresh vegetables is not 

 necessary in California. The mild California winter does not freeze 

 hardy vegetables, consequently they are allowed to grow until the 

 shipping season arrives, as in the case of celery, cabbage, parsnips, 

 salsify, etc., or are gathered, sacked and placed under some cheap 

 shelter from the rains, as in the case of potatoes, beets, carrots, etc. 

 No storage pits or cellars are thought of. In fact, the most direct and 

 cheapest method of loading cars is employed in many instances, for 

 railway spurs are carried right into the center of the celery, cauli- 

 flower and cabbage fields, the crates filled and the cars loaded from 

 the ground on which the crops were grown. This not only reduces 

 the cost of handling and eliminates the cost of storage, it enables 

 the grower to supply the winter and spring markets on the Atlantic 

 side, in the Middle West and the great interior plateau, as well 

 as the North Pacific coast territory of the United States and Can- 

 ada, with vegetables fresh from the soil during many months when 

 they have no fresh products of their own. 



No part of the United States, except an adjacent district of 

 Arizona and the south end of Florida, enjoys a winter temperature 

 which makes such a traffic possible, and even those small outside 

 areas which have similar temperature do not have other conditions 

 of growth like those of California. It is evident that in the future 

 development of the western half of the continent of North Amer- 



