eucalyptus have been used for many years in Australia, their native home, 

 as the chief source of hardwood timber. The uses of eucalyptus are many 

 and diverse. It enters into the construction of buildings, ships, bridges 

 railroad piers, telephone lines, fences, paving, vehicles, agricultural im- 

 plements, furniture, barrels and numerous other articles. Having then so 

 many and varied uses, the eucalyptus, which flourishes better in California 

 than in its native home, is destined to occupy an especially important place 

 amongst the timber products of California. 



For the eucalyptus can be grown as any other crop. The common 

 blue gum, which is the foremost commercial variety, is the fastest growing 

 tree in the world. In a grove in California set in 1885 and cut for fuel in 

 1893 there were, seven years later, some trees two feet in diameter and 

 more than 100 feet high. Other trees 25 years old have attained a diameter 

 of six feet in California. Groves of blue gum when six years old will 

 yield from 50 to 75 cords of four-foot wood per acre. Indeed, the possi- 

 bilities of this wood are so great that the United States Forest Service is 

 taking up the work of forestation in co-operation with the State of Cali- 

 fornia. Planted close enough to develop forest conditions the eucalyptus 

 will take care of itself. Even in soil too poor for cultivation forests can be 

 reared easily and cheaply, bringing returns three times as soon as that 

 of any other hard wood. The ratio of growth is well illustrated by the fact 

 that the blue gum will attain in 24 years the diameter that it will take 

 an oak over two hundred years to make. There is much land in California 

 now considered too poor for growing any crop, that could profitably be 

 planted to eucalyptus for fuel purposes the return from which would fully 

 justify the planting. 



So much for the possibilities of rearing eucalyptus forests. There 

 is already a large and valuable supply of this timber extending through- 

 out California from east to west, and from south almost to the northern 

 limits. It is now used more largely than any other wood in California for 

 fuel purposes, but is becoming recognized as too valuable to be used as 

 such. In the Santa Clara Valley is a large establishment devoted exclu- 

 sively to the manufacture of articles from eucalyptus. It is the best known 

 wood for the manufacture of insulator pins for heavy transmission electric 

 power lines; all parts of wagons and carriages are made from eucalyptus 

 as well as the wood work of agricultural implements and carpenters' tools. 

 The proprietor of this establishment who has had 15 years' experience in 

 working with eucalyptus pronounces it as good as the best hickory 

 for these different purposes. 



The severest test of strength and endurance that any wood is called 

 upon to stand has been successfully withstood by eucalyptus in its use as 

 trip-hammer bars. These automatic hammers, whose heads weigh 200 

 pounds, have broken the best hickory obtainable while eucalyptus has 

 stood the test. In the preliminary tests of strength made at the University 

 of California with green wood grown on the campus the strength was 

 proved to be equal to that of hickory or oak. Tests of seasoned timber are 

 not yet complete but will show much higher results. With the falling off 

 of hardwood supplies in the East the prices have correspondingly ad- 

 vanced and quality has fallen off. As eucalyptus is not friendly to bitter 

 frost and extreme cold, California with her favorable climate will keep In 

 the lead and is destined to furnish the future supply of hardwood in the 

 United States. 



Eucalyptus is specially adapted to the manufacture of piles on ac- 

 count of its long straight stem as well as its resistance to rot and to at- 

 tacks of teredos and other marine animals. Blue gum piles last twice as 

 long on the Pacific Coast as do those made from other woods. Whole 

 piers in the southern part of the State are constructed of it. One man who 

 has his eucalyptus forest as others have their orange groves and apple 

 orchards, writes that he has sold from his grove nearly $10,000 worth of 

 wood during the last ten years. The demand for these piles is now 

 greater than the existing groves of eucalyptus can supply. 



As a source of fuel the eucalyptus is especially valuable on account 

 of its rapid growth — as mentioned above — as well as on account of its oily 

 nature. One grower says that from 200 acres of eucalyptus set largely in 



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