EUCALYPTUS 349 



in diameter, and from forty to fifty feet in height, and 

 practically clean of limbs for more than half their height. 

 At ten years of age, they may reach a height of eighty, 

 ninety, or even one hundred feet, with a diameter of ten 

 or twelve inches. The tree sprouts freely from the stump 

 and the plantation can be maintained in that way. It is a 

 very valuable tree for southern California, where trees are 

 not abundant. 



The wood resembles the common Locust in general ap- 

 pearance, is coarse-grained, comparatively soft when green, 

 but hard when seasoned, stiff, strong, not very elastic, and 

 checks badly when seasoning. Efforts have been made to 

 use it for carriagework, as in poles and shafts, but the 

 checks persist even after they have apparently all been 

 worked out. It is sometimes used for heavy wagon axles 

 and other parts requiring great strength, and serves a good 

 purpose there. While it is reported to be durable in Aus- 

 tralia, it does not bear out that claim in this country, for 

 it decays very quickly when exposed to the ground. If 

 chemical treatment can be made successful, it will prove 

 to be a very valuable tree for telegraph and the like poles, 

 and for railroad ties and fence posts. Now it is used for 

 little else than fuel, for which it serves a good purpose, and 

 it is a profitable tree to grow for that in its chosen habitat. 

 It also provides a good wind-break for the protection of 

 fruit trees and farm crops. When studying the trees of the 

 Pacific Slope a few years ago, the author would inquire, 

 wherever it was found abundant, " For what purpose is it 

 grown ? " The answer invariably was, " For fuel." " Any- 

 thing else?" "Yes, they make an ointment from its 

 leaves." " Is that all?" Ordinarily, "Yes." One old resi- 

 dent, however, ventured a little further. He said, " Just to 

 have trees." That shows the estimate put upon it by those 

 who have had practical experience with it. The best of the 

 two species cultivated in California is known as Eucalyptus 

 globulus so named from its round fruit. It is called 

 there " Blue Gum," or just plain " Gum.". Unless some 



