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In the Lair of the Eucalypts 



This publication has contained several articles within the last few- 

 years deprecating the alluring statements being made by sundry 

 promoters of eucalyptus growing land schemes in southern California. 

 It now wishes to reiterate and emphasize all the statements it has 

 hitherto made on this subject, and to further advise investors that 

 the claims of the wonderful profits possible of attainment in eucalyp- 

 tus growing are absolutely chimerical. There is not one chance in 

 a thousand of attaining a fairly good profit out of an investment 

 in these projects. They are schemes, pure and simple, to separate 

 the amateur investor from his money. 



When and how the commencement of eucalyptus planting in south- 

 ern California transpired is not a matter of accurate history. Various 

 types of eucalyptus, largely blue gum, were brought over from 

 Australia and planted thirty to fifty years ago. By reason of its 

 comparatively rapid growth it was planted by ranchmen along the 

 edges of fields to form windbreaks, which before the advent of 

 comprehensive irrigation systems were regarded necessary to insure 

 anything like satisfactory crops, either of grain or fruit. These 

 rows of trees about immense fields in that region have grown in 

 many instances to trees of considerable size. 



To be sure, they arc short-bodied, scraggly, and iU-smelling trees, 

 generally twisted in bole, and probably are the most unbeautiful that 

 were ever devised by the Almighty. The center picture on this 

 page shows what is probably as good a specimen of eucalyptus as 

 grows in the entire country, but this is an exceptional tree. 



The picture at the left shows some of the growth thirty or forty 

 years old, planted as windbreaks, and the picture at the right shows 

 long lines of these loppy, scraggly trees on either side of a roadway. 



The average ranchman of southern California is now apparently 

 just as desirous of getting rid of eucalyptus as he 

 was originally to secure it. These men have found 

 that eucalyptus exhausts the soil for fully forty feet 

 on each side of the line of these windbreaks, and 

 thus renders it impossible to grow anything within 

 that distance from them. Among these people 

 eucalyptus is popularly known as the "thief -tree" — 

 stealing as it does all the nutriment of the soil for 

 many feet about it. 



There is one Los Angeles company, recognizing 



this situation, that has purchased a i|uantity of eucalyptus wind- 

 breaks from ranchmen to an alleged extent of ten million feet, 

 VB-ithin a comparatively limited area, and is sawing the wood into 

 squares and from it producing handles and wagon stock in a con- 

 siderable quantity. This company alleges that it is getting good 

 financial results from its enterprise, and its handles, spokes, etc., 

 certainly have the appearance of being a very good commercial out- 

 put. In view of the absolute paucity of hardwoods on the Pacific 

 coast it would not be surprising if a local trade could be built 

 up out of these eucalyptus products for the purposes named, that 

 would be fairly remunerative, although it is doubtful if the wood 

 has equal merits to hickory. 



There is also a legend that one other man in southern California 

 has made some money from the manufacture of eucalyptus into 

 lumber and veneers. Outside of these two enterprises, and such of 

 the wood that has been employed to a limited extent for railroad 

 ties, and such as is being used for fence posts and cordwood, these 

 constitute the entire commercial history of the wood in utilization in 

 the entire California country. 



The Santa Fe Railroad and quite a number of individuals have 

 during the past few years planted comparatively small areas of 

 eucalyptus, but from an examination of these wood lots, the writer 

 wishes to assert that they are the most xmpromising exhibition of 

 practical forestry Ihat he has ever seen. It is just possible, by 

 proper thinning, that within thirty to fifty years a growth of 

 eucalyptus could be accomplished that might have some little possible 

 value for lumber ;:nd railroad tie purposes, but it is extremely 

 doubtful if the wood ha.s any essential value save for fuel purposes. 

 Again, it is perfectly safe to allege that any California land that 

 will grow eucalyptus will produce ten to one as 

 much revenue if it were planted to any of a dozen 

 varieties of field or citrus crops. 



As a tree-growing proposition, eucalyptus is a 

 gigantic fake, and is unknown as a commercial 

 proposition in California. It is heard of only east 

 of the Mississippi river, where unscrupulous pro- 

 moters are attempting to rob the public on these 

 fake eucalyptus growing land sales. 



To quote a letter from one of the two eucaljrptus 



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