406 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tends through it. A house has also been built in the center. The tree 

 is probably over 1,000 years old. 



The Eucalyptus or "Blue Gum" of Australia grows to a greater 

 height than any other known tree, many of them reaching over 400 feet, 

 and one species has been measured 480 feet high ; one tree has been 

 reported 159 feet in circumference at three feet from the ground. 

 Another 80 feet circuit at 56 feet height. 



The Eucalyptus is one of the most rapid growers; its timber very 

 valuable, the tree beautiful in form and grandeur. It possesses great 

 power of absorbing moisture and its emanations tend to purify the at- 

 mosphere. Hence it possesses great medicinal value. It has been 

 naturalized and successfully planted in Algeria and southern Califor- 

 nia ; but will not stand the climate of the southern United States. 



It has also been introduced into India, Cape of Good Hope, Ar- 

 gentine Republic, Chili, Central America and some of the West India 

 Islands. There are 140 species of it which differ from each other in 

 growth and other characteristics. The largest and tallest trees of 

 America are the Sequoia or Redwood (2 species). The Redwood belt 

 f Sequoia sempervirensj is about 15 miles wide by 150 miles in length 

 from the northern boundary of California to Monterey. 



A single tree has been worked up into 65,000 feet valued at $1,000. 

 The Sequoia sempervirens is said to possess great power in condensing 

 fogs and mists into rain and there are always cool, well supplied springs 

 in their vicinity. Dr. Bolander asserted that in his opinion, if the red- 

 wood forests were destroyed California would truly become a desert. 

 No other trees ever attracted so much attention in so short a period. 

 Whitney speaks of seeing redwood forests of large trees, extending as 

 far as the eye could reach; of trees eight to twelve feet in diameter 

 200 to 300 feet high, thickly grouped, with very strong trunks and 

 branchless for 100 to 150 feet^ above forming a dense canopy exclud- 

 ing the sky. These trees are found between 5^000 and 7,000 feet above 

 the sea. 



There are eight groves of " big trees." In the Calaveras grove 

 there are thirty trees with circumferences ranging from 31 to 61 feet, 

 and of heights from 231 to 325 feet. The tallest tree is about 390 feet 

 high. One of these trees was cut down, having a diameter of 27 feet, 

 including 18 inches of bark, and it occupied the time of five men for 22 

 days to cut it down, and after being cut off it stood so erect that three 

 days were occupied in persuading it to fall. Counting its rings of 

 growth, it was estimated to be over 1,300 years old. 



In the Mariposa grove there are 17 trees over 60 feet in circum- 



