CENTRAL STATION TREE-PLANTING ON A HILLTOP. 113 



CENTRAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Berkeley, Alameda County. 



TREE-PLANTING ON A BERKELEY HILLTOP. 



BY C. H. SH1NN. 



A significant experiment in tree-planting has been carried on for a 

 number of years on a high hill-top in the northeastern part of the Uni- 

 versity tract at Berkeley. This tract comprises 249 acres (outside of 

 the Hillegass tract) and rises, at first gradually, then more abruptly, 

 from its western frontage on Oxford street to an elevation of 950 feet 

 near the extreme northeastern corner. Its general appearance is famil- 

 iar to the public, as a contour map has been printed on many occasions. 

 It is sufficient to say here that the mountainous portion east of the 

 building site contains about 125 acres, used as pasture land. 



The soil is for the most part adobe; the native vegetation, confined to 

 the canons, consists of coast live-oaks, laurels, willows, and lesser shrubs. 

 One stray madrono stands on the creek near the agricultural building. 



Eucctlypts. Considerable planting of eucalypts (chiefly E. globulus), 

 pines (chiefly Monterey), and other conifers was done soon after the 

 University was established here, but nearly all on a level below 400 

 feet, where the soil was deep and could be easily plowed.! The growth 

 of these trees has been rapid, and, in many respects, surprising. One 

 large block of almost two thirds of an acre, situated west of the cftider 

 track at the union of the two creeks, has long been recognized as one of 

 the most instructive eucalyptus groves of its size in this part of Cali- 

 fornia (see .Plate 17). There are about two hundred and fifty trees here, 

 the largest of which now girths 7i feet, breast-high. 



The trees on the outer edge of this grove range from 40 to 90 inches 

 in girth, stand 8 to 10 feet apart, and often rise 40 feet without a branch; 

 in the middle of the grove the trees are from 18 to 30 inches in circum- 

 ference, but with even taller shafts. It is estimated that this grove, if 

 cut for fuel, would yield about 400 cords of firewood, or at the rate of 

 about 600 cords per acre. 



One eucalyptus tree cut on the Hillegass tract in 1901 was measured 

 by the writer. Its age was twenty-four years and its diameters were 26 

 inches and 31 inches after the bark had been stripped off. Yields of 

 800 cords to the acre have been reported from trees of twenty years of 

 age. Ten-year-old red gums grown by Mr. J. C. McCubbin, of Reed ley, 

 yielded at the rate of 235 cords of wood per acre, and it was by him 

 reported to have from 85 to 90 per cent of the fuel value of mountain 

 live-oak. ( Whether this was E. rostrata or E. viminalis was not reported. ) 



On the hills, where the soil is scantier, the rainfall of less amount, and 



trees more exposed to winds, the growth is necessarily very much less 



than it is on the flat. Such hill land as this, however, has only a pasture 



value, as it is not suitable for early vegetables, and is too steep for grain. 



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