State Agricultural Society. 133 



and are now in splendid growing condition, generally about four and 

 one half feet high, although many of them have attained a hight of 

 eight feet. 



The expense of the enterprise has thus far been about fifty-five dol- 

 lars per acre of six hundred and fifty trees, exclusive of the land: and 

 it is expected that they will have cost one hundred and fifty dollars per 

 acre before any revenue can be derived from them, which will probably 

 be in about seven years. 



The eucalypti are considered very useful forest trees in Australia, 

 where they are indigenous; the variety globulus being used extensively 

 for piling (as they are free from the attacks of the toredo), and for 

 flooring, as it is a beautiful white color and wears perfectly smooth. I 

 have no doubt that it will be found useful for many other purposes. 



Mr. Aiken jn'oved that he had planted during the year, and in accord- 

 ance with the plan set forth in his statement, namely, in nursery form — 

 the rows five and six feet apart, and the trees one foot apart in the 

 rows — the following number of trees of the varieties named: 



Lombardy poplar and balm of (lilead, five thousand; morus multi- 

 caulis, seven thousand five hundred; morus alba (2), five thousand; Cal- 

 ifornia black walnut, ten thousand; American white maple, four thou- 

 sand; Amei'ican white elm, five thousand; English elm, two thousand; 

 Spanish chestnut, four hundred; American chestnut, five hundred. All 

 of which were in a good growing condition. Below is 



Mr. Aiken's Statement. 



In the fifth department of the premium list for eighteen hundred and 

 seventy, entitled "Agricultural Products," the Board of Directors of 

 the California State Agricultural Society have offered a premium of 

 fifty dollars " for the largest quantity of useful forest trees planted 

 during the year." 



Here is an industiy that is second to none in the whole list of agri- 

 cultural productions. The rapid disappearance of the forest trees all 

 over our State, especially in localities bordering upon our rivers and 

 sloughs, has for several years excited the attention of all who claim 

 a home in California and feel an iuterest in the future welfare of our 

 State. 



Since the writer became a resident of this county, there was a fine 

 growth of oak and sycamore timber bordering the Sacramento from the 

 city to its mouth, which, it would be safe to say, would yield from one 

 thousand two hundred to two thousand cords of wood for every half 

 mile, on either side. The oak trees were generally straight and hand- 

 some; many of them would make two rail cuts of twelve feet each in 

 length, with several cords of wood left in the top. This fine growth of 

 timber which once graced our river, tempered the atmosphere, and gave 

 23rotection to the adjoining plains from the sweeping winds, has entirely 

 disappeared — the woodchopper's axe has stripped the river farms of 

 nearly all the hard wood timber, and the owners are now obliged to rely 

 upon the grow 7 th of willows for firewood. One of the greatest disad- 

 vantages which the farmers of our plain lands labor under is the want 

 of timber lands and forest trees. There is nothing to protect the grow- 

 ing grain, the young vineyards, or the newly planted orchard from the 

 fierce northerly winds which visit us almost periodically, and generally 



