THE LEAVES OF THE TREE Were FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS. " 23 



"a dead letter" to those most concerned, viz. vineyardists, orchardists and 

 agriculturists, etc. Shortly after my arrival in San Francisco I learned 

 from D. Heoshaw, Ward Esq., of 308 California Street, general manager 

 of the Natoma (1500 acre) vineyard, that within two months in 1891 the 

 company he represents suffered to the extent of $65,000 from a grasshop- 

 per invasion; we shall therefore be correct in surmising that all other vine- 

 yards and orchards within the infested area, suffered in like manner, there, 

 by possibly aggregating a loss amounting to sundry million dollars 'in this 

 State alone which could have been saved had said report been made known 

 and acted on. 



The testimony of Australia's premier authority Baron Ferdinand von 

 Mueller, K. C. B. M. D., F. ft. S. on the nature and properties of Eu- 

 calypti, as expressed in the following extract from a letter dated 

 December 7th, 1883, is now of special interest : 



" The European and American mails, dear Mr. McLean, kept me incessantly 

 engaged till Tuesday night, and since then I have been harassed with official work* 

 hence I can only now ac a late night hour attend to your inquiries. . . .' 

 What the bottoms of temporarily dry lakes would generate are Bacteria in billions 

 sometimes as the carriers of epidemic diseases. . . If therefore yon r wise 

 suggestion could be adopted to let the water of the Avoca into the Lake Tyrrell 

 (an immense waterless basin in an arid district) not only would ample drinking 

 water be gained but the air be cooled far around and the bacteria be drowned. 



" As regards planting for sanitary purposes, nothing can be more valuable 

 than Eucalyptus, their odorous foliage originate ozone and peroxyde of hydrogen 

 as most powerful destroyers of miasmatta. The little hook transmitted herewith 

 (a treatise on Eucalypti] for your kind acceptance may interest you as bearing on 

 questions in which you have shown such a deep interest." 



"With regardful remembrances, yours 



(signed) FEED. VON MUELLER." 



FURTHER TESTIMONY 



From the Bendigo Advertiser (Australia) of October 23rd, 1890 : 



GUM TREES AND DRAINAGE. " The value of eucalyptus trees for draining 

 wampy land is illustrated by the following paragraph from the 8t. James Gazette: 

 '* For years past the Trefontance Convent at Rome had become positively unin- 

 habitable owing to the malaria which attacked in many instances with fatal re- 

 sults its inmates. Senator Torelli presented a bill in Parliament proposing that 

 the estate annexed to the convent should be planted with eucalyptus as an experi- 

 ment against malaria, The bill was passed, and the Trappist monks planted 

 thousands of eucalyptus plants of all species on the estate. But still the malaria 

 ravaged, and several monks suffered severely. But it was remarked that it was 

 only the monks who had their cells looking on the central cloister who fell victims 

 to the malaria. This suggested the idea of planting four eucalyptus trees at the 

 four corners of the cloister. The plants, sheltered from the winds, soon grew to a 

 great height. The immediate result was the complete draining of the soil in the 

 cloister, and the disappearance of malaria fever from the convent." 



That eucalypti is unquestionably the most powerful antiseptic tree on 

 earth cannot now for a moment be seriously doubted, and when we couple 

 its many additional virtues including its rapid growth, durability and 

 beauty of texture for furniture and general building purposes (as will 

 be amply shown by the New South Wales Government at the Chicago 

 World's Fair) it is, in my opinion, justly destined to play a leading part 

 in forest restoration all over this planet. The almost limitless medicinal 

 properties which permeate its evergreen "odorous foliage" are being 



