Thoughts on Forestry in California. 173 



country I went over in 1849 that are well worth noting, and give great 

 promise even on what were then desert lands, pure and simple. On the 

 other hand, I have carefully observed, especially in one or two cases, that 

 among millions of trees, covering miles on the side of a desert, I couldn't 

 find a single tree less than fifty to seventy-five years old, although these trees 

 are covered with seeds, and there are no indications of a fire ever having 

 visited them. This is proof to my mind that the climate is drier, as seeds 

 can not germinate now where they produced seedlings less than a century 

 ago. 



Any one who has studied these desert lands, even when on a flying trip, 

 will see enough to convince him that if irrigation could be secured there 

 would be very little desert land in this state. I firmly believe that on any 

 •desert land where sage-brush and other shrubs are growing, even sparsely, 

 forest trees will grow, if the land is cleared and well plowed, which is a very 

 cheap and simple affair compared either with clearing grub land, timber 

 land, or breaking prairie in the eastern states. The forest trees must be 

 planted during the rainy season, and cultivated at least during the succeed- 

 ing season. It is surprising to see how the land in this state endures drought, 

 when compared with similar land on the other side of the continent. I have 

 seen our gravelly land in Illinois without apparent moisture at three feet in 

 depth, after a drought of only six weeks. I have noticed men digging only 

 two feet deep for telephone poles in this state, and the moisture was per- 

 ceptible, although there had been no rain for nearly six months! This is 

 not a solitary case, but is usual, as I have frequently noticed in new railroad 

 cuts. 



In the east a hard-pan lies at a certain depth below the surface, through 

 which the moisture can not be brought up by capillary attraction. In this 

 state the soil generally is loose and porous down to the bed-rock, however 

 deep that may be, consequently all the deciduous fruits may be grown with- 

 out irrigation, but they must be thoroughly cultivated to get the best results. 

 All through the San Gabriel valley, and in other parts of the state that I 

 have visited, the indigenous trees thrive best on the north sides of the hills. 

 Indeed, they are generally destitute of tree growth on their southern sides ; 

 only shrubs, perennial and annual plants, and a scanty growth at that. Yet 

 I have seen eucalyptus growing where planted on the very summits of some 

 of these hills, and also on the south sides. In very many of these hills the 

 soil is quite rich enough for tree growth even to the very summit; indeed, 

 I do not remember an exception, except where the rock protruded. 



As to irrigation, I touched that subject very modestly for awhile, as I 

 received quite a rebuff the first time I ventured an opinion. A gentleman 

 was irrigating a very fine auraicaria. He had the earth scraped away from 

 the collar of the tree, forming a basin about three feet in diameter and six 

 inches deep. He was flooding this with cold water in the heat of the day, 

 and threw the water with such force from the hose that the crown of the 

 roots was laid bare. I told him I thought he ought not to disturb the sur- 



