1923| WILSON, NORTHERN TREES IN SOUTHERN LANDS 8D 



CONCLUSION 



SOUTHERN TREES IN NORTHERN LANDS 



In bringing this article to a close it may not be out of place to inquire 

 briefly into the value of the trees of the southern hemisphere to the North. 

 At the outset it is well to emphasize that in the North there is little land- 

 surface enjoying a climate favorable to the growth of these trees. None 

 of the softwood trees of the antipodes are ever likely to be of value in 

 forest planting in the northern hemisphere. Fortunately we are well 

 supplied with trees yielding this class of timber and need no help. Several 



South 



nothing for us. Of hardwood trees the species of Eucalyptus of Australia 

 are the southern hemisphere 's great gift to forestry. Of great value to South 

 Africa they have proved valuable in California, Mexico and some of the 

 countries of western South America and of the Mediterranean Basin. In 

 California many species are cultivated and I believe that some like Eu- 

 calyptus salmonophloia F. v. Muell. and E. salubris F. v. Muell. will be 

 found to be especially useful in the dry southwestern states and in Mexico 

 for forest planting. In parts of south India, especially on the Nilghiri 

 Hills, the common Blue Gum (E. globulus Labill.) is now the chief source 

 of fuel. Other species grow well and have a decided future before them 

 in south India and also in the drier northwestern parts of Ceylon. But 

 after all the value of Eucalyptus to countries north of the Equator is 

 slight in comparison to what it is in the southern hemisphere where their 

 growth is so extraordinarily rapid. The wood of the different species is 

 of great variety and it seems likely that the genus Eucalyptus is destined 

 to supply the bulk of the world's future needs of ordinary hardwood 

 timbers. The ornamental character of a number of species of Eucalyptus 

 is considerable and few exotic trees in California are more lovely when in 

 flower than the red-flowered E. ficifolia F. v. Muell. of Western Australia. 

 The Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon R. Br.), indigenous in southeastern 

 Australia and Tasmania, is one of the valuable timber trees of the world. 

 It grows well on the Nilghiri Hills in southern India and on the highlands 

 of equatorial Africa, In these countries it has decided value as a forest 

 tree and very probably there are other countries north of the Equator 

 where it will flourish. 



Another useful Australian tree Grevillea robusta A. Cunn., is much used 

 for a shade tree over Coffee, Cocoa and other tropical economic crops and 

 is widely planted for ornamental purposes in many warm regions of the 

 earth. The Black and Green Wattles, Acacia decurrens Willd., and its 

 variety mollis Benth., are of immense importance as a source of tanning 

 material and Natal is now the headquarters of this industry. On the 

 highlands of Kenya Colony in equatorial Africa these Wattles have been 

 largely planted but freights are excessive and Kenya cannot compete with 

 Natal. Coal is not known to occur in Kenya Colony and it had been hoped 



