EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS. 



in 1857, according to Dr. Raveret-Wattel had attained in 1875 a height of 67 feet, with a circum- 

 ference of seven feet towards the base of the stem. As far north as Nizza a small seedling 

 planted in 1869 had risen in 1874 to a tree of about 50 feet height, with a circumference of three 

 feet of the basal portion of the stem. At Malaga, according to Dr. Planchon, a specimen attained 

 in six years 65 feet. Still greater celerity of growth is shown by E. globulus in temperate regions 

 of tropical mountains, where equality of temperature is combined with moderate continuous 

 humidity. Thus Mr. Brace wrote to me from the Neilgherri-Hills of the Madras Presidency, that 

 his Eucalypts had attained an average height of 20 to 25 feet 18 months after the seeds were 

 sown ! Nearly the same wonderfully quick development was noticed in Reunion. Many other 

 instances of the marvellous quickness of growth could be adduced, if it were necessary, as we 

 have witnessed such ourselves as near as the banks of the Yarra of our own city. But the extra- 

 ordinary rate of growth becomes soon retarded, if the subsoil is not deep and friable ; still if such 

 is the case, then the tree will succeed surprisingly even in poor soil, particularly if such is not 

 altogether too dry. Naturally the species is almost restricted to humid valleys of mountainous 

 country or to lower slopes of forest-ranges, though in culture it accommodates itself to most sorts 

 of soil with singular readiness. On the storm-beaten rocks of Wilson's Promontory I have seen 

 it profusely in flower and fruit, though dwarfed by exposure to the size of a mere shrub, when 

 almost within the reach of oceanic spray. The tree is however quite adverse to saline ground, 

 and seems to avoid also soil containing much lime, as noticed likewise by Mons. Lambert in the 

 forest-department of Algeria. As regards the greatest height, which under most favorable 

 circumstances it will attain, it does not fully come up to the stupendous loftiness of E. amygdalina 

 and E. divers icolor, but is one of the very few ranking in this respect next to them in the genus, 

 while under ordinary circumstances it surpasses them all in the early and easy yield of copious 

 fuel and subsequent timber, E. rostrata (with E. tereticornis), E. marginata and perhaps E. 

 siderophloia standing foremost in the lastinguess of their wood, E. amygdalina again in hardiness 

 and in the yield of essential oil, E. calophylla with a few other Bloodwood-trees in the flow of 

 Kino-sap, E. microcorys in the copious pervasion of a viscin-like oily fluid throughout its wood, 

 E. rostrata again with E. Gunnii in their fitness for swampy ground, E. heemastoma for its 

 adaptability for sand-lands. Thus, though nature distributed also in this instance her gifts 

 variously, it placed for the general requirements of mankind E. globulus in the most favored 

 position among this race of highly valuable trees. As regards quick rate of growth it may still 

 be added, that the variety reguans of E. amygdalina surpasses even E. globulus, but only when 

 occurring (as Swamp Gum-tree) in springy forest-glens with deep rich soil. General Sir William 

 Denison seems to have arrived at the conclusion, from observations at Hobarton, that E. globulus 

 will continue its upward growth in deep nutritive soil for about 80 years, after which space of time 

 the tree will only enlarge in the girth of its stem and branches. It is evidently a species of 

 longevity, but the age of 2,300 years allotted as possible for E. globulus (Langethal, Kalender der 

 Pflanzen, pp. 103-104) is evidently vastly overrated, because the less regular intermediate rings 

 between the annual layers of wood, apt to be formed in trees of the zone of evergreen vegetation, 

 are easily mistaken for the results of a year's growth, and the circumference of a stem-base of 

 130 feet, on which Professor Langethal based his calculation, is so startling, that it cannot be 

 taken as that of a solid stem-barrel, but must have included basal buttresses, however gigantic 

 dimensions the tree is known to attain in deep sheltered and irrigated recesses of forests. Rob. 

 Brown, already at the commencement of this century, saw on D'Entrecasteaux's channel some 



