858 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Pliato by The PiUsbury Picture Co. 



YOSEMITE FALLS CAMP, YOSEMITE VALLEY 



From this tent city, for there are several hundred comfortable canvas bungalows 

 back of the dining room and office buildings shown in the picture, the tourist 

 visits any part of the beautiful park he desires and sees an interesting variety 

 of tree life. The Yosemite Falls, seen apparently so close to the camp, leap 

 2,400 feet from crest to valley in three splendid cascades. 



trees familiar in the East are found, although rarely of 

 commercial size or in any considerable quantity. A pe- 

 culiar tree in a class by itself is the rare California nut- 

 meg, a member of the yew family. Found in central 

 California, it forms dense thickets and associates with 

 the hardwoods along streams. The name is derived 

 from the resemblance of the fruit to the nutmeg of 

 America. 



Although not in the class of trees, the various shrubs 

 which go to make up tlie cha])arral of the slopes and foot 

 hills deserve mention, in the mountains of Southern 

 California over seventy distinct species constitute the al- 

 most impenetrable mass of shrub growth which covers 

 many of the slopes. In the San liernardino and San 

 Jacinto Mountains, the chaparral area is 5i( ])er cent, 

 while in the San Gabriel .Mountains it increases to 80 

 per cent. Small chance, therefore, that anyone will 

 miss this feature. Chaparral also comes in after fire 



and cutting in the northern mountain forests. 

 Consideration of the different species is not of 

 particular interest, and it is sufficient to know 

 that several kinds of dwarfed oak are found in 

 the chaparral growth. A group of low and slen- 

 der trees or shrubs known as Ceanothus or 

 myrtles grow in the low mountain canyons of 

 Southern California and add an effective touch 

 to the landscape by their fragrant blue Howers. 

 which appear in long, wide bunches, from which 

 the common name, lilac, is derived. 



Two groups of small trees or shrubs attract 

 immediate attention because of their red-brown 

 trunks, red branches and shiny, evergreen foli- 

 age. One of these is the well-known Manzanita, 

 which is an evergreen shrub widely distributed 

 throughout the Pacific coast. It is found at the 

 foot of cliffs, on the edge of the forests, and 

 scattered throughout the chaparral from one end 

 of the State to the other, usually in a variety of 

 soils from sea level to several thousand feet 

 elevation. Occasionally, under favorable con- 

 ditions, it becomes treelike, and, wherever found, 

 adds a touch of color to the landscape. The 

 other red bark tree is the Aladrona, which ofte 

 reaches a height of GO to 80 feet, about 2 or 3 

 feet in diameter, but can become low and shrubby 

 more like the Manzanitas. It produces showy, 

 large clusters of flowers resembling lilies-of-the- 

 valley, and may be looked for along any of the 

 established routes of travel. 



To attempt a summary of the trees and shrubs 

 to be seen from the trails and roads which the 

 California E.xposition visitor will traverse this 

 summer, would be a hopeless task. The most 

 that can be hoped for is to call attention to the 

 unique and beautiful in the way of tree growth 

 which may be seen if it is only looked for. It 

 should not be enough for a party to go from 

 Los Angeles to the top of Mt. Lowe or ]Mt. Wil- 

 son in the conventional way. To return without 

 realizing that they have passed through several distinct 

 zones of tree growth, and have had an opportunity to see 

 the effect of natural conditions, such as elevation, aspect, 

 Temperature and moisture on the distribution of the flora 

 and also the effect which tire and other human agencies 

 have had on the forest cover of the Southern California 

 liiountains, would be a distinct loss of an opportunity. 

 Along the stream beds at the foot of the slopes will be 

 seen sycamores, oaks and other hardwoods, followed by 

 the chaparral of the arid foothills. Farther up in the 

 moist canyons will be seen the bigcone spruce and per- 

 haps other evergreens, and on the more exposed slopes 

 the knobcone pine and perhaps the coulter pine with its 

 big cones. The north and east slopes will be the most 

 densely wooded, while on the hot, dry, south slopes, 

 shrubs and trees with desert characteristics will prevail. 

 Finally, on the summit of the main ridge and in the moist 

 canyons of the main Sierra Madre, will be found the 



