90 EUCALYPTUS. 



I planted a citriodora in an old clump of trees in my 

 garden for the sake of its fragrant leaves. It grew so fast 

 that it soon passed out of hand reach and then out of 

 ordinary ladder reach. It is now about sixty feet to the 

 first limb. The stem is straight, smooth and of a warm 

 grey color with a smallish head of sickle-shaped branchlets 

 that respond to the breezes' slightest breath. In my tree 

 clump the citriodora now stands as a steeple does to a 

 church. 



Last spring two blue grey mountain squirrels fell in love 

 in this little grove. While Miss squirrel sat in an olive 

 amongst scarlet bignonias, her fiery-hearted swain showed 

 daring feats in the bending Eucalyptus limbs, swinging 

 from one to another, and then making wild leaps down 

 into a camphor tree. I enjoyed the courtship perhaps as 

 much as the squirrels, and paid them with a blind eye to 

 their orange eating. 



Nurserymen here have promoted the citriodora to spe- 

 cific rank. As far as the foliage goes it certainly deserves 

 a name of its own, for the leaves of Eucalyptus mac- 

 ulata proper are reported to be entirely without the fra- 

 grant odor of Eucalyptus citriodora. I know of no macu- 

 lata other than those of this variety in Caliiornia. 



The leaves of citriodora properly cured make a pleasant 

 sachet or fragrant sofa pillow. 



The timber of this tree is very valuable. A still more 

 fragrant foliaged tree is Eucalyptus Staigeriana, the lemon 

 scented ironbark. I know of none of these here. Some 

 of the finest old specimens of Eucalyptus citriodora are at 

 Ellwood. In these the foliage is in great drooping clusters, 

 giving a unique effect with the smooth white bark. The 

 foliage is greener than usual in this genus. 



