When we consider the fact of the great number of farms in Cali- 

 fornia that are nearly or wholly destitute of wood, and the great 

 and continuous expense entailed by our system of fencing, the im- 

 portance to the farmer of dedicating a portion of his land to the 

 cultivation of forest trees, from which he can obtain fuel, and fenc" 

 ing materials, is too palpable to admit of debate. The compara- 

 tively small expense and labor with which the cultivation of a few 

 acres for the purposes I have named is attended, its absolute feasi- 

 bility and practicability, with the beneficial results that would flow 

 therefrom, should commend itself at once to every farmer, as a few 

 acres of timber land for economic purposes would add much more 

 than the cost to the cash value of a farm. The boundaries of a farm 

 should be marked by a row or rows of trees, thus defining its limits 

 by living monuments, and greatly adding to its beauty — from these 

 rows as the trees advance in growth and age, some Avood could be cut, 

 and where the farm is of considerable size, enough in the Avay of 

 trimmings or prunings to supply the fuel of the house. In the 

 treeless areas of the southern part of the State, the varieties of 

 Acacia above named would prove an important aid in assisting by 

 their protection the planting of other species of timber ; as they are 

 easily taken care of and will stand excessive drouth. They would 

 also be useful as is our Monterey Cypress, ( Cupressus macrocarjoa) 

 for belts to break the force of the winds in exposed places, and it is 

 to be hoped that before many years, timber belts for this pur- 

 pose will be common wherever the coast winds prevail, as a protec- 

 tion to orchards and vineyards. 



"We have many native trees well adapted for timber or wind- 

 breaks, and while calling the attention of land owners and others to 

 the exotic forms above mentioned and their special qualities as 

 enumerated in Dr. Mueller's excellent paper, I do not wish to be 

 understood as making an unfavorable comparison as against indi- 

 genous species, as for some of the purposes mentioned they will 

 answer equally well. 



It must be remembered, however, that our forests are unfortu- 

 nately deficient in many of the hardwoods much used in the arts, 

 and which we are now compelled to import from localities more 

 favored in this respect. The aggregate amount annually sent oat of 

 the State for the purchase of this material could by proper foresight 



