146 



In Australia, the Eucalypts grow in a great variety of soils and 

 olimates, varying from deserts or dry mountainous regions to low 

 swamps and moist mountainous ones. It would therefore seem possible 

 to select species which would be suitable to a great variety of situa- 

 tions. All the larger arboreal forms delight in a warm climate but 

 other conditions must also exist to enable them to become successfully 

 established. 



Prof. Charles Naudin in his memoir on the genus says: — "The 

 first condition of success in the culture of Eucalypts is a climate 

 appropriate to their nature ; that is to say, for a great majority of the 

 species, warm summers, a vioderate amount of ram, a certain amount 

 of atmospheric dryness, plenty of sunlight and very temperate winters." 



I have placed in italics the portion of the quotation from Prof. 

 Naudin's memoir which particularly applies to the Straits and 

 Feflerated Malay States. It cannot be said that with an average 

 annual rainfall of 96 inches we enjoy a moderate supply of rain, nor for 

 the same reason can we lay claim to the certain amount of atmospheric 

 dryness in our climate necessary to their successful culture. 



Most Eucalypts are benefited by occasional heavy rainfalls which 

 thoroughly saturate the soil, as indeed most arboreal plants are,, 

 but frequent heavy rains and the subsequent very humid atmosphere 

 are not conducive to their healthful growth. As has already been 

 mentioned, a few of the species grow in swampy, humid regions,, 

 but the majority, though able to absorb large quantities of water by 

 means of their roots, prefer for their aboveground parts a dry 

 atmosphere, at least for a considerable portion of the year. 



In Australia, the Eucalypts are generally found forming large 

 forests and indeed many of them do not form very desirable shade 

 trees when planted for that purpose. 



As I shall endeavour to show, the raising of Eucalypts is 

 attended with no little difficulty • and in view of the fact 

 that the soils anci conditions our present roadside trees are subject to, 

 would destroy any chance the Eucalypts might have (provided 

 climatic conditions were suitable) it would seem that we must be 

 content for the present at any rate, with the large and excellent 

 variety of other trees that are available. 



It is generally believed that Eucalypts h.ive a most benefiting 

 influence on the climate of those regions in which they are planted 

 to any large extent. There seems to be a great diversity of opinion 

 on this point, however, as the following quotations will show. 



The American Consul at Florence, in 1894, writes in his Consular 

 Reports, "It is this latter quality (the property of distributing a 

 balsamic atmosphere) which has brought the Eucalyptus into such 

 prominence in Italy, and has been the cause, not only of the planting 

 of thousands of trees by private individuals and public corporations, 

 but of its receiving the indorsement of the Italian Government as 

 well" 



