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WHY THE CALIFORNIA CLIMATE SPECIALLY 
FAVORS THE GROWTH OF FRUIT. 
It was pointed out by the earliest students of meteorology, 
as related to horticulture, that perfect development of fruits de- 
pends upon certain atmospheric conditions, which are included 
in the term climate: First, temperature; second, light; third, 
humiditv or atmospheric moisture,—considered wholly apart 
from soil moisture. It was also shown that temperature and 
humidity should be equable, or as free as possible from excessive 
extremes or rapid changes. 
Obviously, the chief characteristics of the California climate 
are: First, freedom from extremes of low temperature; second, 
an abundance of sunshine; and third, an atmosphcre with a low 
percentage of humidity. It will be interesting to introduce 
enough statistics to demonstrate these claims, and to cite rea- 
sons why these conditions are of special value to the fruit 
grower. 
THE OFFICE OF HEAT IN FRUIT PRODUCTION. 
Temperature conditions may preclude the success of a fruit 
tree either by destroying it outright, by dwarfing it, or by pre- 
venting it from ripening its fruit. Extremes of temperature 
accomplish the death of plants, and insufficient or excessive 
mean temperatures may prevent fruition without, killing the 
plant. The first quality of the California climate to arrest the 
attention of fruit growers in the States east of the Rocky Moun- 
tains is the freedom from the effects of extremely low winter 
temperatures, to which is due the deplorable failure, in the east- 
ern and western States, of many of the fruit varieties from the 
west of Europe, and to escape which such zealous effort is now 
being put forth to secure hardy varieties of native and foreign 
origin. 
How slight is the injury from low temperatures in all parts 
of the State where fruit is largely grown may be seen from the 
following compilation of extreme low temperatures at different 
points approximately at the same latitude on the coast, in the 
interior valleys, and on the foot-hills. 
(19) 
