36 THE CLIMATOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



we may find disagreeable features in both, we may be very 

 sure that they will not exchange places. 



We should hardly expect to find in Santa Clara the 

 fogs and the strong cold winds of San Francisco, while 

 at the same time San Francisco was basking in the hot, 

 clear air of Santa Clara. I have spoken of the dry 

 air, especially in the interior, but we find along the 

 coast a fog bank which encroaches on the land at night 

 and retreats in the daytime ; this is particularly notice- 

 able at San Francisco. In the morning it extends some 

 miles inland, the distance varying with the character 

 of the country, the mountains offering a barrier to its 

 progress. During the forenoon the land radiates suffi- 

 cient heat to dissipate it and the rest of the day is bright. 

 The fog bank, however, is likely to remain over the sea, 

 appearing like a huge cloud rolling in towards the shore 

 but not reaching it till sunset, when it spreads inland and 

 a clear evening is uncommon. As we pass along the 

 coast, away from San Francisco, the winds and the fogs 

 become less noticeable, while if we go back into the 

 Sacramento or San Joaquin valley we get beyond the 

 reach of the fog, but we also lose the benefit of the cool 

 breezes ; consequently, the pleasantest climate is found 

 nearer the coast, but at some distance from San Fran- 

 cisco. 



The coast range sends out numerous spurs which form 

 a broken line of hills or low mountains along the shore in 

 many cases rising quite abruptly from the sea. Amon'g these 

 are many little valleys which are quite sheltered from the 

 fogs and winds and yet are comparatively cool. Here we 

 find small fruit ranches nestled at the foot of the hills or 

 climbing the sides which are in some cases so steep as to 

 necessitate terraces, and here and there are mineral springs 

 and pleasure resorts on a small scale for summer and 



