EUCALYPTS C('i;n\'ATEI) IX THE IXlTEl) STATES. 



PART I. 

 THE NATIVE HOME OE THE EUCALYPTS. 



The native home of the Eucal3"pts is Australia and some of the adja- 

 cent islands, including- Tasmania, New Guinea, Timor, and one of the 

 Moluccas, All but a very small per cent of the species are found on 

 the continent of Australia itself. A small number o-row both on Tas- 

 mania and in Australia, one of these being the Blue Gum, Eucdlypim 

 (/lohiJus, the species that has been cultivated most widely throughout 

 other parts of the world. 



The Eucalypts constitute a considerable part of the forests of Aus- 

 tralia, and are said to give a characteristic appearance to the landscape 

 of the regions in whioh they j^row. They are known in their native 

 home as Gum trees, Mahogany trees, Box trees, Stringy barks, and l)y 

 quite a number of other names, the first being the most common 

 appellation. Notwithstanding- the general use of the term "Gum 

 tree,"' the name is not an entirely appropriate one, as the exudations 

 from the trees are in most cases not gums, but resins. The name 

 "Eucalypts,""' proposed by Baron A^on Mueller, and used in this publi- 

 cation, is more suitable and euphonious. The only Australian common 

 names that have been generally adopted in America are "Blue Gum 

 tree'" for E. (jJohulns^ and "Red Gum tree"' for E. rostrata and several 

 other species, indiscriminately. In Australia several species are known 

 as Blue Gums and several as Red Gums. This confusion of names, 

 due to the great number of the species, and to the application to the 

 same species of different common names by the inhabitants of the 

 various colonies of Australia, makes it impractical)le to designate a 

 Eucalyptus tree by a common name. Tor distinctness it is necessary 

 to use the botanical names almost entirely. It will probably be some 

 time, even in their native home, before these trees have well established 

 popular names for each of the 150 or more species. 



In Australia the different .species occupy situations varying from 

 deserts or dry mountainous regions to low, swampy, and moist moun- 

 tainous ones. On account of the great diversity of species and their 

 wide distribution in their native home, it has been possible to select 



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