[From the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, July 1st, 1872.] 



ECONOMIC VALUE- OF CERTAIN" AUSTRALIAN" 



FOREST TREES, AND THEIR CULTI- 



YATION" IN CALIFORNIA. 



BY ROBERT E. C. STEARNS 



Australian forest trees propagated from the seed, -SN'ith perhaps a 

 few exceptions, thrive remarkably in California ; the climate and soil 

 appear to be nearly or quite as favorable to the growth of these 

 exotic as of the native forest forms. 



In many of the principal towns in this State, especially in and 

 around San Francisco, in the neighboring city of Oakland and ad- 

 joining towns on the easterly side of San Francisco bay, fine speci- 

 mens of many of the Australian forest species are exceedingly 

 numerous. The most popular of these belonging to the genera 

 Acacia and Eucalyptus, have been planted for ornamental and 

 shade purposes ; the light feathery fern-like foliage of some of the 

 Acacias, their gracefulness, beauty and color combined with rapid 

 growth, present so many advantages as to fairly entitle them to 

 popular esteem. Of the Acacias recommended by Dr. Mueller on 

 account of their economic value,* I am not aware of any being cul- 

 tivated in this State for that object. A. decurrens (= A. mollissima) 

 also A. lophantha and some other species, are frequent, and highly 



* A. decurrens, Willd, alao A. homalopbylla, Cunn, and A. melauoxylon, R. Bk. 

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