Climate of Southern California 367 



of wealth in search of that chimera, the perfect climate ; 

 the climate without marked seasonal changes and ex- 

 tremes. The pictures of Southern California display a 

 wealth of palms and other tropical verdure ; hence in the 

 public mind the country is considered tropical, and the 

 tourist is often heard to remark, "If your winters are so 

 mild your summers must be very hot," and the same 

 tourist waxes indignant when the Californian states that 

 Los Angeles is fifty per cent, cooler than New York in 

 summer. 



Southern California produces a semi-tropic vegeta- 

 tion as well as productions of the temperate zone, but it 

 is far from being tropical. This is not better illustrated 

 than by saying that in winter Southern Californians 

 dress as do Eastern people. They wear winter cloth- 

 ing, and for two months or longer have furnace- and 

 grate-fires, and are extremely uncomfortable if they do 

 not. They wear overcoats at night and when riding, 

 yet at mid-day they often let the fires go out and throw 

 open the doors and windows ; indeed it is the cool 

 nights that make the winter. 



It seems very cold on these winter days to the new- 

 comer, but just how cold it really is I leave the reader to 

 realise when I say that in front of my house the helio- 

 trope climbs to above the windows of the first story. 

 This is protected by the eaves, and is on the south side 

 of the house, yet in eight years it has never been touched 

 by frost, though I have found ice in an Indian mortar 

 near by in the early morning. It feels cold and pene- 



