The San Diego Garden Fair - Committee of One Hundred

INTRODUCTIONbaroque and titt more simple form of the Missionstyle of New Mexico and California, both associatedwith the romantic events of the early historyof America.Whatever one may call it historically, it may besaid that many of the buildings seem very successfulin the strictly historical impression they create. It isvery difficult to beliroe that the charming paradisewhich holds the Exposition buildings at one timewas a dry mesa - a tableland overgrown withchaparral and overrun by coyotes. One has toknow what can be done with a southern Californianclimate and an abundance of water in order toappreciate the luxuriousness of that carpet ofverdure which has been spread over the formerlybarren hills. Fragrant with the penetrating odorof the acacias and the perfume of hundreds offlowers, these hills are a solid mass of every typeofshrub and tree that grows in a salubrious climate.I know it is generally considered in poor tasteto speak of climate in relation to California, but Icannot help but speak of the truly ideal weatherconditions I encountered during my visits, bothin May of I9I5 and in January of I9I6. Suchskies and soft breezes - they are not the lot ofmortals everywhere. No wonder the people atSan Diego are optimistic enough to want to extendtheir Exposition into another year. Since it doesnot in any way interfere with the use of valuableproperties needed for other purposes, let alone thecontinuance of the pleasure the Exposition affords,it would have been regrettable to have adhered to theoriginal one-year plan.[XIII]