188 THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 



dimensions of one of these trees are as follows : height, 

 300 feet (200 feet from the root to the first branch) ; 

 diameter at the base, 28 feet. The wood is so hard 

 that it cannot be worked with ordinary tools, and 

 nails cannot be driven into it. 



Another gum-tree was 95 feet in circumference, 

 and three feet above the soil it would take 20 men 

 to encircle it with outstretched arms. 



The quantity of wood yielded by one of these 

 trees is marvellous. The first we have mentioned 

 weighed not less than 1,540,758 Ibs. 



These trees are the colossi of the vegetable 

 world. They are to the oak and linden as the 

 whale is to the elephant or the hippopotamus. They 

 owe their peculiar name to the enormous size of their 

 crowns, which are covered with dense green foliage. 

 This variety of balsamic vegetable yields a highly es- 

 teemed oil in immense quantities, a gum which is 

 sometimes eatable, and excellent wood for dyes as well 

 as for cabinet work. Even among the Eucalyptus 

 there is one species so large that it has obtained the 

 special epithet of the gigantic (Eucalyptus gigantea}. 

 They passed for the tallest in the world until recent 

 investigations in California resulted in the discovery 

 of trees still taller. Even the baobabs of which we 

 have spoken are exceeded in size by these California 

 monsters. 



Of late the Eucalypti have furnished various ar- 

 ticles of commerce and become highly valuable. Their 

 hard wood serves for furniture, their twigs for walk- 

 ing sticks, of which thousands are annually imported 



