Culture of Eucalyptus in Algeria. 



l]i' CONSUL-GENERAL PLAYFAIIl. 



In the report of a journey I made to Tunis last year I stated my con- 

 viction, and I endeavoured to prove, that the principal cause of the 

 decadence of that country, and of the exhaustion of its soil, was the 

 destruction of its forests, which has been going on ever since the Arab 

 conquest, and more especially during the past hundred years. Since then 

 I have given much consideration to the question of the reholscment of 

 Algeria, especially as to whether this process, so conducive to the public 

 good, could not be made one of advantage to the individual speculator. 

 When duty and profit can be made coincident it is wonderful how easy the 

 former becomes. 



For this purpose I determined to visit leisurely the whole of the 

 plains of the Metidja and the Chelif, in which, if anywhere, suitable land 

 might be found. I have read everything that has been written on the subject 

 of Australian trees, and I purpose now to record, not only the result of 

 ray own observations, but the opinions of those far better qualified than I 

 am as to the best means of restoring to Algeria the forests which were 

 formerly the cause of its great agricultural wealth, and of opening out a 

 means of employment for superfluous capital and energy. 



The most interestiug papers which have been written on the subject, 

 and to which I more particularly allude, are — ■ 



1. Role de I'Eucalyptns en Algcrie, par M. Trottier, 187G ; and 



2. L'Eucalyptus au Point de Yue de I'lTygicne en Algerie, par le 

 Dr. E. L. Bertherand, 187G. 



JEffccfs of the DesI ruction of Forcsis on the Gllmalc of Algeria. — The 

 same causes which have l)een at work in Tunis have produced similar 

 results though in a less degree in Algeria. In the latter country the 

 destruction of the forests has been less complete, therefore the country has 

 remained more fertile, but the climate is changing in an appreciable 

 degree every year. 



Tolerably correct meteorological observations exist in Algiers since 

 1838. If we divide this lapse of time into three periods, we find the 



annual rainfall as follows :'•■ — ■ 



Millimetres. 

 1st period of 12 years ........ 800 



2nd „ ,, , 770 



Srd „ U ,, 639 



T ere can be no doubt as to the cause of this decrease. At the period 



* I need hardly apologize for using the French metric system, which is so much 

 mn-e rational than the English one. The reader need only recollect that a hectare is 

 equal to 21 acres, a pound to 25 francs, and a metre to 3g feet. 



