199 



English parks. The maguiliceut trees spread a geuerous shade over the 

 heUls of wikl Uowers and grasses. Grain is often phinted under the oaks 

 and matures well, only a little later than that in the open plains. 



It is a great regret to every lover of nature to see such characteristic 

 beauty, so difficult to recreate, rapidly disappearing. The broader 

 canyons, when there is euongli good soil, are enchanting. 



As we leave the sea, the water-courses, or more properly liood-courses, 

 of the country are covered by Cottonwood trees [Populus Fremontii 

 and Poimliis trlGhocarpa). These, like the Oaks, frequently form beau- 

 tiful i)arks on the damj) lands where they grow. One of the hand- 

 somest of these groves is at San Jacinto, in San Diego County. 



In the great Colorado Desert and on its edges are found several use- 

 ful stunted trees that form in favorable locations considerable planta- 

 tions. These are the Iron-Wood, Mesquite, the Screw-Bean, and the 

 Pinon Pines. The last three bear edible fruit, which is collected by and 

 forms the main support of the desert Indians. 



In the Mojave Desert a tree cactus grows which is being made into 

 paper, on a large scale, by an English company. This is the Yticea 

 hrcvifoUa. It grows about 20 to 30 feet high, and forms the same 

 grove-like plantations so frequent in this dry country. In the mount- 

 ain canyons opening on the desert side grow the striking California 

 Palms, Washingtonia Jilifera. 



The edible Oak acorns, the nut of the California Walnut, and the 

 fruit of the desert trees spoken of form imi^ortant possible sources of 

 food. 



Speaking generally, it must be borne in mind that the plains and 

 deserts of southern California are devoid of trees, and when trees do 

 occur they never form forests. 



In the lower mountain canyons, wherever there is water, the growths 

 are dense. The principal trees are the Willow, Alder, Maple, and 

 Mountain Live Oak (Quercus oblong i folia). These are mixed with trees 

 coming up from the valleys on the one side, principally Oaks, and 

 down from the mountain heights on the other, principally Spruce 

 {Abies Douglasii). The whole is inextricably tangled up with dense 

 chaparral and charmingly ornamented with large fern-brake. 



The deciduous trees of the country are almost exclusively confined 

 to the canyons or the damp land below them, or to the courses of the 

 waters. The Quercus oblongifolia is the only one of our Oaks valuable 

 for timber. 



On the mountains the real forest is found. Considerable quantities of 

 valuable timber exist on the Sierra Madre, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, 

 and Cuyamaca Mountains. The Sierra Madre range has been too steep 

 and inaccessible as yet to be exploited ; but on San Bernardino and 

 San Jacinto large saw-mills are continually at work, supplying the col- 

 onies below in the valleys with lumber, but furnishing none for export. 



