EUCAL YPTUS. 19 



year old small sugar gums (Eucalyptus corynocalyx) out 

 one year, and in the other some yearling blue gums and 

 man}* older, but stunted trees. In both washes the native 

 sumac was frosted, and in nearly every case the whole 

 foliage killed. The sugar gums were not all touched, but 

 nearly all had the outer top leaves frost burned. Hardly 

 any of the young blue gums were touched and these only 

 very lightly. However, the young blue gums were among 

 the older trees and doubtlessly received some protection. 



Our common Rhus is comparatively rare along the 

 coast further south, and another ornamental and very at- 

 tractive Rhus, well worthy of gardeners' attention, takes 

 its place. This latter, rare here, has not been frosted at 

 all this year. This seems rather a strange thing, a south- 

 ern type to be so resistant. 



I am quite convinced that we could obtain a more reli- 

 able frost resistance in the blue gum by a careful gathering 

 of seeds from trees thriving in the coldest places to which 

 this species is indigenous. Although the native habitat of 

 the blue gum is restricted, it still is subject to a consider- 

 able climatic range. Both in Victoria and Tasmania it 

 climbs well into the mountain valleys, and it seems only 

 reasonable that seed from some of the more exposed trees 

 would resist more cold than those on the warm mesas. The 

 seeds of all other plants are eventually impressed by the 

 climates in which they are produced. This fact is availed 

 of by agriculturists in vegetables, grains, etc. We know 

 also that certain tree seeds all of the same species produce 

 plants of different capacities in resisting cold on one side 

 and heat and drought on the other. Take, for instance, the 

 Douglass spruce indigenous from British Columbia to the 

 Mexican line. Seeds of this spruce show great variations 



