going deep and far in search of it, and 

 storing it for time of greater need. It 

 is said that in dry regions, where the 

 wanderer can find no water, he need not 

 perish with thirst if a Eucalyptus tree 

 is in sight, for its roots will yield him 

 their supply of water, the moisture it has 

 had the marvelous power of gathering 

 far below the surface of the parched 

 earth. 



It has gained a reputation for drying 

 marshy soils and preventing malarial 

 diseases. Planted on the Campagna at 

 Rome it has rendered habitable some 

 places formerly deserted. Its aromatic, 

 camphor-like fragrance, as well as its 

 avidity for water, may have something 

 to do with its beneficial effects in malar- 

 ial regions. Mosquitoes are said to dis- 

 appear from the neighborhood of Eu- 

 calyptus plantations. It is a rapid 

 grower, sometimes adding fifteen feet to 

 its stature in a single year. 



The Eucalypti are frequently of im- 

 mense size and they rival, in height, at 

 least, the famous redwoods of Cali- 

 fornia. They are often called gum- 

 trees, because of the amount of resin 

 they contain. The bark is entirely gone 

 from the trunks of the older trees, and 

 on the branches it hangs in long, curl- 

 ing strips ; hence the common name of 

 the Eucalypti in Australia is String- 

 bark Trees. 



The species most frequently planted 

 in Southern California is the Blue Gum, 

 or Eucalyptus globulus. The bark and 

 foliage have a bluish white color, and a 

 field of seedlings seen ai a distance by 

 its waxy sheen and peculiar color re- 

 minds one of a field of cabbages. 



Growing in dry soil the tree has 

 learned several devices for protecting 

 itself from too much sunshine. The 

 leaves of the seedlings and of young and 

 inexperienced shoots are opposite, hori- 

 zontal, and stemless. The leaves that 

 appear later are narrower ; there is but 

 one leaf at a joint, and they have stems 

 that by a dextrous twist, bring the 

 leaves to a vertical position, thus pre- 



senting only their edges to the noon-day 

 sun. The older leaves are leathery in 

 texture and their thick cells guard 

 against too much loss of water through 

 evaporation. The young leaves are pro- 

 tected by a wax-like covering. In some 

 species in Australia this waxy coating 

 is a hard, opaque, sweet substance that 

 is known as Australian manna. 



Eucalyptus trees do not spread their 

 branches to the light and air, but send 

 them almost directly upward. In this 

 respect they remind one of the poplar, 

 but they have not as reserved an aspect 

 as poplar trees. 



In Australia, the hard timber of the 

 tall, straight trunks is used for ship- 

 building, for telegraph poles, and for 

 railroad ties. In California the trees 

 cannot be spared for timber, but, lining 

 the avenues, they offer grateful shade to 

 those who pass their way. Long rows 

 of them indicate the roadways in the dis- 

 tance, and a grove of these tall guard- 

 ians betokens a dwelling near them. 



The tree has its name from a peculi- 

 arity of its bud and blossom. The word 

 Eucalyptus comes from two Greek 

 words and signifies well covered. The 

 calyx never opens in the ordinary way, 

 but the top of it, shaped like a little, 

 shallow, acorn-cup, falls off like a lid, 

 or like a cap from a head of flaxen hair. 

 Under this covering, on the edge of the 

 calyx-dish, are many rows of stamens, 

 which push off their caps, shake out 

 their fair tresses and make a pretty 

 crown for the seed-cup. The calyx-tops 

 as well as the leaves contain much resin- 

 ous oil useful in medicine; used also in 

 making perfumery and varnishes. 



The Eucalyptus traces its line of an- 

 cestry to a remote past compared with 

 which all the children of Adam are new 

 comers to this planet. Geologists tell us 

 that the trees' fossilized remains are 

 found among the early forms of plant- 

 life. It IS fortunate for us that the de- 

 scendants of this ancient and honorable 

 race still live to be our contemporaries 

 and helpers. Alice M. Dowd. 



44 



