USES OF EUCALYPTS. 31 



Mexico might be similarly divided into four Eucalypt areas. The 

 territory of these divisions would not necessarily he contiguous, but 

 would be determined by elevation rather than by latitude or longitude. 



USES OF EUCALYPTS. 



The Eucalypts probably serve more useful purposes than the trees 

 of any other genus grown on the globe, except, possiblv, the various 

 palms. Their uses are very diverse. As they grow the}^ serve as a 

 forest cover to mountains, hills, plains, and swamps, as wind-breaks, 

 and as shade trees. While growing they are also the source of many 

 gums and resins, and of honey. When cut, they furnish valuable tim- 

 ber, excellent fuel, and a very useful oil. Besides all this, many of 

 them are ornamental, and they have the reputation of improving the 

 climate of the region in which they grow. Being hardwood trees, they 

 serve the useful purposes that hardwood trees ordinarily serve, and 

 besides furnish many useful products similar to those obtained from 

 a variety of other trees, and from shrubs and herbs. This great 

 variety of uses is made available, in regions where they have but 

 recentl}^ been introduced, by reason of their very rapid growth, it being 

 possible to enjoy many of their uses while the trees are still standing, 

 and to obtain from them many useful products within a very few 

 years after planting them. 



AS A FOREST COVER. 



It is as forest trees that the Encalypts are most useful; planted as 

 ornamental or as shade trees thev are often disappointing. Planters 

 who have put them out as forest trees are the ones who have derived 

 the greatest benefit from them. (PI. I, a.) Hon. Ellwood Cooper, 

 of Santa Barbara, was one of the first Americans to recognize the 

 prospective value of Eucalypts as forest trees. He acted upon his 

 conviction, and has for a score of years been reaping the reward. 

 Besides enjoying the beaut}^ and shade of his groves, as well as the 

 beneficial changes they have wrought in the climate of the region, he 

 has for many years received from them an annual income of no incon- 

 siderable amount. Those who have planted them singly or in small 

 groups as ornamental or shade trees have received little or no financial 

 return, and have in some cases been disappointed in them because not 

 serving, as they had hoped, the purpose for which the}^ were set. 



In many of the semitropic portions of the globe the Eucalypts are 

 the trees most suitable to plant for forest cover. Much of the treeless 

 land of semitropic America might be covered with these trees. As 

 the conditions under which the difierent Eucalypts grow in Australia 

 are very diverse, it is evident that, if the species are properly selected, 

 thev will cover nearlv all kinds of situations. 



