266 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



California has thus far furnished very little for our gardens. 

 There are many singular plants in our mountains, but few have 

 found favor with our gardeners. The ceonothus is the chief or- 

 namental shrub, indigenous in California, adopted for cultiva- 

 tion. 



192. Arboriculture. The cultivation of forest and shade 

 trees is yet very limited in California. For timber purposes 

 the blue gum or eucalyptus globulus is preferred, on account 

 of the rapidity of its growth, and the strength, hardness, and 

 durability of its wood. Several other species of the eucalyptus 

 are also in favor. The black locust grows rapidly, but is in 

 some places injured by insects, and it gives trouble by the 

 numerous sprouts that rise from its roots. In the interior 

 towns the scycamore, cottonwood, native willow, Lombardy 

 poplar, the ailanthus, and the Eastern and California maple, 

 are used for shade ; but in the gardens near the middle coast, 

 where the summers are not very warm, and shade not much 

 needed, the Monterey cypress, Monterey pine, and Lawson 

 cypress are preferred, on account of their beauty, the density 

 of their foliage, the regularity of their growth, and their hardi- 

 ness. 



193. Pests of the farmer. Certain " pests " of the farmer 

 must be mentioned here, among which are the spermophile, 

 gopher, grasshopper, locust, grape-bug, orange-bug, army- 

 worm, Canada thistle, mullen, dock, fern, and so forth. Of 

 the spermophiles and their habits I have spoken in the chapter 

 on the zoology of the State. The amount of mischief which 

 they do is very great. The most effective means of driving 

 them off are poisons, chiefly strychnine and phosphorus. About 

 a drachm of strychnine is dissolved in a quart of whisky, and 

 then the solution is poured over dry wheat, in such quantity 

 that the surface of the liquid is just on a level with the top of 

 the grain. In the course of twelve hours the wheat absorbs 

 all the liquor, and a few grains may then be thrown in front 

 of every squirrel hole. Another method of preparation is to 



