ARBORICULTURE 



145 



I'he Eucalyptus for the South. 



THE vast importance of early ma- 

 turing- trees with wliich to re-afifor- 

 est large areas throughout the 

 South which are now being deforested, 

 cannot be overestimated. 



Cypress timbers of the southern 

 swamps will not make sawing timber or 

 cross-ties in less than a hundred years. 



The white oak of Arkansas and Mis- 

 sissippi, now being rapidly marketed, can 

 not be replaced, even althougli ]ilante(l 

 now, before the twenty-first century. 



The yellow pine makes quite a show- 

 ing in two decades, as a young forest, 

 but will not take their places in the saw 

 mill until seventy or more years have 

 passed. 



The Chestnut Oak, so prized in moun- 

 tainous Kentucky and Tennessee, have 

 required fully as long to mature. 



In consequence it becomes an impor- 

 tant question to know what may be 

 planted to take the place of these woods' 



now gomg. 



In our December number we had sev- 

 eral illustrations of this great Australian 

 tree and a brief article calling attention 

 to Eucalyptus. 



We are now presenting the subject 

 anew, with photographs taken during our 

 recent trip through California, and wish 

 to show how much more profitable it 

 would be to manage the Eucalyptus dif- 

 ferently than California has done. 



There is now a great and growing de- 

 mand for piles, with which to build piers 

 far out into the ocean, to connect the 

 shore with deep water where vessels may 

 discharge their cargoes. Pine from 

 Oregon is principally used, and the great 

 length of some piles make their cost and 

 transportation very great. 



While the Eucalyptus (some varieties) 

 is not considered durable for posts, or 

 •cross-ties, without treatment, yet the one 

 ■enemy to ocean piling is the teredo, which 

 soon bores the wood full of holes. 



It is said by many who have used the 

 Eucalyptus for this purpose that it resists 

 the attacks of these ocean worms, and 

 now there is a great demand for the Eu- 

 cal\ptus for this purpose. 



Cnfortunatel}- the universal treatment 

 of this tree on the I'acific Coast, pol- 

 larding, has totally ruined them for this 

 use ; a few i)laces only have they been 

 left to grow into tall trees with suitable 

 trunks, and usually these have been so 

 closely ]:)lanted that they are only suited 

 for firewood. 



Our picture No. i shows a scene in 

 Los Angeles, and the customary mode of 

 cutting ofi^ the top of these trees to make 

 them branch lower. 



No. 2, on the same street, shows a tree 

 which has resulted from this method of 

 pollarding. 



No. 3, another localitv in Los Angeles 

 where a cluster of Eucalyptus trees 

 standing about sixteen feet apart, have 

 all made tall, handsome and valuable 

 trees, suited for any purpose of piling or 

 lumber, some of these trees are thirty 

 inches diameter and 150 feet high. 



No 4 is a single tree, pruned to a pole, 

 having a few branches with foliage at the 

 top. This simply exhibits what can be 

 done as a curiosity, but is not recom- 

 mended. 



No. 5 is a cluster at Pasadena which 

 were planted in a circle having a dia- 

 meter of twelve feet. There are eight 

 trees, all of which are of value. 



No. 6 is a recent clearing of Eucalyp- 

 tus near Long- Beach, California, now 

 being made into cordwood. 



While in California fuel is of great 

 cost, and these trees make very good fire- 

 wood, yet this far greater value as 

 luml)er ])r()(lucers, ]:)iles, etc., has been 

 entirely lost sight of in the management 

 of the trees. 



The Eucaly])tus grows to extreme 

 height. 150 to 175; feet not being unusual, 

 and increases with great rapidity in good 

 soil with a fair supply of water. 



The old adage "save at the spigot and 

 lose at the Inmg hole" is clearly applic- 

 able to this method of management. 



The luicalypti about Phoenix, Ariz., 

 show what may be done in this latitude, 

 nnd the trees should have a place in New 

 .Mexico, South Carolina and the (!iulf 

 states. 



