us'] OK I:SKKI:L TRKKS WITH UKMAUKS. 59 



feet in height, and average one hundred and twenty cubic 

 feet each this rate of growth is only half that of the single 

 tree at Gayton but yet it is enormous, compared with Teak 

 which, in good situations, does not average more than one 

 cubic foot a year. 



The tree grows best in what are called shola soils, that is Soils, 

 where natural woods grew before, these are composed of 

 humus to a depth of two or more feet with a sub-soil of decom- 

 posed felspar which remains moist throughout the year, 

 next certain grass lands which have a peaty surface soil 

 and a retentive sub- soil. So powerful are the roots of the 

 Eucalyptus that they rapidly bore through a bed of clay, and 

 thus drain any marshy place as has occurred in Algeria, indeed 

 on these hills, they are accused of drying up springs. The 

 fact being that their roots having bored through the substra- 

 tum of clay that prevented the water descending to a greater 

 depth, the spring has followed the roots to a lower level. 



The tree Eucalyptus Globulus delights in an elevation of Cold and eleva - 



* r tion, rain fall 



seven thousand feet, and bears ten degrees or frost; a temperature. 

 rain fall of fifty inches a year suits it well. The mean tem- 

 perature of Ootacamund is 56. The tree does not, in this 

 latitude, 12 north, succeed below five thousand feet eleva- 

 tion it has been tried and failed. 



The trees are usually laid out six feet by six feet, or say Mode of planting, 

 twelve hundred to the acre; at ten years of age, half are 

 taken out to enable the rest to come on, the balance are 

 gradually thinned out until only one hundred trees stand on 

 the acre, as per balance sheet of a Eucalyptus plantation. 



The wood when ten years old is good for all kinds of rafters Uses of the wood. 

 used in building; when twenty years old, it is fit for flooring 

 planks, rafters, reepers, &c., when forty years old, it may be 

 considered to be timber and has been used for ships, spars, 

 &c. it has a fine long grain something like ash. Oil has 

 been distilled from the leaves, and used for rheumatism, and 

 cigars have also been made from the leaves and smoked for 

 bronchitis and asthma. The twigs which are shed being 

 full of resiuous matter are collected by the poor who have 

 blessed the introduction of the tree, as with little trouble 



