﻿8 BULLETIN 9, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Alvinza Hayward, Mr. P. Nolan, and Mr. H. P. Livermore 

 planted them extensively in Alameda County; J. de Barth Shorb 

 made a 10-acre plantation in Los Angeles County about 1875. This 

 plot has since been cut up into city lots, but some of the original trees 

 remain. 



The College of Agriculture of 'the University of California and the 

 State Forestry Commission grew and distributed many acacias, and 

 have published the results of successful investigations. The collec- 

 tion of acacias at Berkeley, the seat of the State university, was begun 

 in 1872 with 30 species, and was subsequently augmented by many 

 others. Parts of the arboretum were destroyed, however, to make 

 way for new buildings. Acacias were planted at Chico and Santa 

 Monica forestry stations, and at the latter place tannin determina- 

 tions of the bark have been made. Acacia planting in Golden Gate 

 Park, San Francisco, was begun by Mr. W. H. Hall, the superintendent, 

 in November, 1870, when 1,200 acacias of 10 species were set out. 

 Planting went on year after year, under the supervision of the man- 

 ager, Mr. John McLaren. In 1880 and 1889, 50,000 acacias were 

 planted in the sands toward the western end of the park. In the 

 years 1889 to 1892 not less than 50,000 trees, and usually 60,000 trees, 

 were set out in a season, and in subsequent years from 5,000 to 20,000 

 were used each year, so that up to the present time about half a 

 million have been planted. The Golden Gate Park nurseries still 

 grow about 25,000 specimens every year, and they have more acacias 

 and more kinds of acacias than anywhere else on the Pacific coast. 

 This Golden Gate Park planting is such a remarkable example of 

 sand-dune reclamation that it will be treated alone in a chapter 

 devoted to that subject. 



This review of acacia planting in California since 1852 shows that 

 the field has been very fairly covered. Any person who desires to 

 know whether a given species of acacia will thrive in any part of 

 California is likely to find mature specimens within a reasonable 

 distance. He may not find commercial or profit- yielding plantations, 

 but he will find ample evidence of the adaptability of the tree to the 

 soil and climate. Just as the olive and orange trees of the missions 

 proved the suitability of the region to olive and orange groves, the 

 many acacia trees, over a much wider range of country, show the 

 commercial possibility of acacia plantations. The hardier acacias 

 will flourish where the orange and olive will succeed. Nevertheless, 

 many species have not yet been fully tested, % and there is need of 

 further systematic determination of the frost and drought limits, 

 even of long-cultivated species; also for exact tests of bark yields 

 and proportion of tannin. The naturalization of any exotic on a 

 large scale requires much patience and money and involves complex 

 problems. 



