12 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and sixty feet high. Wonderful stories are told, also, of the value of 

 the eucalyptus as a preventive of malaria, and in reclaiming swamps 

 by absorbing their moisture. But, whatever may or may not be true 

 of it in these respects, the rapidity of its growth and the quality 

 of its wood will commend its cultivation wherever it can be accli- 

 mated. 



A good deal has been expected of the Scotch pine, and it has been 

 somewhat extensively imported for the purpose of planting. In Eu- 

 rope it has a great reputation for the durability of its wood, and for its 

 rapid growth on poor soils and in exposed situations. But time is seem- 

 ing to prove that this tree is not well adapted to our country. It grows 

 well for a while, and has a promising appearance while young ; but, 

 after attaining an age of from twelve to twenty years, it is apt to fail, 

 dying off suddenly, to the great disappointment of the planter. Its 

 most valuable use is as a nurse-tree in very exposed places, where it 

 will shelter other and better trees until they get established and are 

 able to take care of themselves. 



But it is hardly worth while to go abroad for the Scotch pine when 

 we have at home such a tree as the pitch-pine (P. rigida). This tree 

 can be produced from seed in this country in the open field with as 

 much certainty as a crop of corn. It has been grown for many years 

 in this way on the barren and wind-swept soil of Cape Cod, and its cul- 

 tivation has been entirely successful. Large plantations of it are to be 

 found there, and, for the production of fuel and as a nurse for more 

 valuable trees in such exposed and sterile situations, it has proved 

 worthy the attention of land-holders, as it can be planted at a cost of 

 from one to two dollars an acre. 



But the white pine is the most valuable of the conifers for our 

 Northern States. No other is equal to it as a timber-tree. The one 

 drawback to its cultivation is the difficulty of producing it from seed 

 in the open field. It is a tender and delicate plant at its beginning. 

 It needs the care and shelter of the nursery. But a tree so noble when 

 fully grown, and so valuable for many purposes, is worthy of all needed 

 care when young, and will repay it abundantly. The tree-planter can 

 well afford to be at the expense of transplanting this tree from the 

 nursery. For timber, when fully grown, for shelter-belts on farms and 

 grounds, as well as for its fine appearance on the lawn as a single tree 

 or in clumps, our American white ]3ine stands second to no other tree 

 in its claims - upon the attention of the planter. The rapidity with 

 which it is being swept away by the lumberman's axe, together with 

 its great usefulness and desirability in the arts, and especially for build- 

 ing purposes, will give this tree for some time to come an increasing 

 economic value. 



The European larch is quite worthy of cultivation, especially in 

 New England. Professor Sargent says, " There is no tree capable of 

 producing so large an amount of such valuable timber in so short a 



