EUCALYPTUS. 



expedited by blowing vigorously at one of the ends of the 

 root pieces ; roots of the size of a man's wrist are the best 

 for this operation." 



"Mr. Bennett obtained in most favorable cases by these 

 means a great pot full of water in half an hour and found 

 it beautifully clear, cool and free from any unpleasant taste. 

 Mr. J. Cairns refers also fully to the water-yielding Euca- 

 lyptus as weir-rnallee. The courageous explorer, Edw. John 

 Eyre, gave likewise an account of this process, for obtaining 

 water. Roots from depressions in the ground yield the fluid 

 most copiously. Main roots near the stem are not suffi- 

 ciently porous for obtaining water therefrom. Messrs. Muir 

 saw desert Eucalypti also used widely in Southwestern Aus- 

 tralia for obtaining drinking water from the roots, the abo- 

 riginees having entirely to depend on this source for water 

 in many of their hunting excursions, the roots chosen being 

 about one inch in thickness, the surrounding soil being often 

 dust dry.' ' 



Eucalyptus populifolia and the mallee-scrub are also 

 known to give water from the roots, but to a less extent 

 than microtheca. 



Prospectors in our south-western deserts use various 

 kinds of cactus to obtain water. One of the best of these 

 is a tall columnar looking cactus. The method I have 

 heard of as used in this case is as follows : 



A cut is made near the base of the cactus something 

 like a turpentine blaze, square and cut out at the bottom. 

 This depression rapidly fills with water, which, though 

 good, is not entirely free from an acid taste. Stock has 

 been saved in Southern California in the old days by*burn- 

 ing off the spines of the Tune cactus and then giving 

 fragments to the cattle to chew. 



