270 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



THE EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS. 



BT M. BOULADE, HOETICDLTEUR, LYONS. 



!HE scientific world has lately been much busied with the 

 results attained by the acclimatization of this new plant 

 in Erance, and we must own to having been somewhat 

 mistrustful of the wonderful qualities attributed to it. 

 Desiring to procure thoroughly authentic information 

 on the subject, we have availed ourselves of a friendly acquaintanceship 

 with several residents at Cannes, and their reports, taken in conjunc- 

 tion with the specimens forwarded to us, have left no room for further 

 doubt in the matter. It was on 6th May, 1792, that the Eucalyptus 

 was first observed, on the shores of VanDiemen's Land, by Labillar- 

 diere, who was engaged with Entrecastreaux in the search for La 

 Perouse ; it was only in 1856 that it was brought into France by M. 

 Ramel, who, taught by long Australian experience, had recognized 

 the advantages derivable from its cultivation, and desired to secure 

 them to his native land. 



The tree, an evergreen, attains a height of ISO to 250 feet, and 

 sometimes more. The " Tasmanian Blue Gum," by which name it 

 is also known, belongs to the myrtle family ; it is a tree with a 

 tetragonal head, the younger leaves subcordate and opposite ; the 

 others alternate, variously petiolated, coriaceous, unicoloured, shining 

 as though varnished, apiculated, and often somewhat pseudo-convo- 

 lute at the base, or narrowly lanceolated. The flowers are axillary, 

 duplicate or ternate, sessile or furnished with a short, broad, de- 

 pressed peduncle. The floral buds are wart-like, wrinkled or smooth, 

 with a double operculum. 



"Wherever it grows the Eucalyptus is always full of sap. In the 

 South of France, it blossoms all the year round, and continues 

 perennially green as in Austi-alia. It has a balsamic odour some- 

 what suggesting that of the walnut, and slightly terebinthine, 

 arising from a volatile essential oil, which exists in abundance in 

 the leaves. 



M. Ardisson, pharmacien at Cannes, has obtained from the Eu- 

 calyptus the following products : — An alcoholic tincture ; an ethereal 

 tincture ; two essential oils ; two kinds of gum possessing difi"erent 

 resinous properties. Dr. Gimbert has undertaken to investigate the 

 therapeutical properties of these preparations. 



The Eucalyptus possesses many remarkable properties. When 

 young it has the shape of a pyriform mass, but it changes rapidly in 

 accordance with the climatic conditions to which it is subject. Some- 

 times it widens at the base, and throws up oblique aspirant branches ; 

 most often the trunk rises straight and branchless, and terminates 

 in a crown of foliage. In such cases, the height of the foliage above 

 the ground, and the vertical position of the leaves have the advan- 

 tages of not impeding the sun's rays in their passage to the ground. 



At Cannes, seedlings planted in May, in suitable soil, attained a 

 height of 20 feet in the course of eight months. The growth during 



