100 FOUEST CtJLTUEE AND 



zones similar to our own. Trees with softer kinds of 

 woods, such as Poplars and Willows, even though they 

 may rival some of the Euealypts in quickness of 

 growth, cannot be well drawn into comparison, as 

 most of them do not live in dry soU, nor attain lon- 

 gevity, nor assume gigantic dimensions, nor furnish 

 timber of durability. But there are still other rea- 

 sons- which have drawn our Euealypts into extensive 

 cultural use elsewhere — for instance, in Algeria, 

 Spain, Portugal, Italy, the south of France, Greece, 

 Egypt, Palestine, various uplands of India, the savan- 

 nahs of North America, the lianas of South America, 

 at Natal and other places in South Africa, and even 

 as near as New Zealand.* One of the advantages 

 offered is the extraordinary facility and quick- 

 ness with which the seeds are raised, scarcely any 

 care being requisite in nursery works; a seedling, 

 moreover, being within a year, or even less time, fit 

 for final transplantation. Another advantage consists 

 in the ease with which the transit can be eflfected, 

 in consequence of the minuteness of most kinds of 

 Eucalyptus seeds, f there being, besides, no difficulty 

 in packing on account of the natural dryness of these 

 seeds. For curiosity's sake I had an ounce of the 

 seed of several species counted, with the following 

 results;^— 

 Blue Gum-tree, one ounce — sifted fertile seed grains .... 10,112 



Stringy -bark tree (unsifted) 21,080 



Swamp Gum-tree (unsifted) 23,264 



Peppermint Eucalypt (unsifted) 17, 600 



* The seeds of Eucalyptus rostrata (our Red Gum-tree) are available for 

 all tropic countries, inasmuch as this species, "vrhich is almost iucompBra> 

 bly valuable for its lasting wood, ranges uaturaUy right through the hot 

 zone of Australia. 



t The seeds of the West Australian Red Gum-tree (Eucalyptus cslophylla) 

 and the East Australian Bloodwood-tree (Eucalyptus corf mbosal are com- 

 paratively large and heavy. 



