XVI 



CALIFORNIA 



The garden section of this State extends the length 

 of its coast, and possibly fifty miles inland, and much is 

 conveyed in a few words when it is described as one garden 

 throughout this whole region. In the hill country moun- 

 tains are admirable settings to tropical gardens, and from 

 there to the sandy shores a delectable climate with pre- 

 vailing westerly sea-winds encourages phenomenal growth 

 of the choicest plants. 



Southern California is particularly blessed with a clear, 

 dry, and balmy climate. Quoting an authority in Santa 

 Barbara: "There is practically no frost in southern Cali- 

 fornia; in the north there is some. There are flowers in 

 our gardens at all times of the year. Tulips bloom in 

 February and March; Daffodils, German Iris, and other 

 hardies from February to May; also Lilies-of- the- Valley, 

 which latter are more scarce on account of the dryness of 

 the atmosphere. From March till autumn there is bloom 

 from Sweet William, Phlox, and many others of their 

 kind, while Geranium, the common Marguerite, and Heli- 

 otrope grow all the year around and become large bushes. 

 Roses cover the tops of some villas; Cosmos, California 



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