PRACTICAL ARBORICULLTLURE 47 
The serious condition of the hickory supply has largely been brought 
about by immense quantity of young hickory poles of from ten to twenty 
years’ growth, which have been cut for cooperage stock, as it takes five trees to 
make the hoops for one barrel, while a lard or pork barrel requires ten or more 
trees. By this practice there is no young stock of hickory left to grow into 
lumber trees, while the price obtained for cooperage stock is infinitesimal. 
Hickory will grow on almost any soil and upon mountain and rough 
lands, while such locations have a very low value, being unprofitable for culti- 
vation in farm crops. 
So long as carriage manufacturers absolutely refuse to consider the fu- 
ture prospective of lumber, and will not encourage the work of forest plant- 
ing, they must not complain when the supply finally ceases and their business 
must end. 
ARBORICULTURE has brought this question to the attention of manufacturers 
during many years past, and urged the restricting of the hoop pole cutting 
and the planting of timber trees. One prominent carriage builder met the 
proposition with the argument that “In future, vehicles will be built of com- 
pressed paper,” but he forgot that the paper must be made of wood and the 
wood must be first grown. 
Automobile wheels are made of steel wire and rubber—but these are 
very expensive, while farm vehicles and road wagons, carriages, etc., would 
become very costly if made of these materials, and by no means as strong or 
satisfactory as when made of good hickory wood. 
In California and in Florida the Eucalyptus of Australia succeeds, and the 
principal variety known in America, the blue gum, is of extremely rapid 
crowth, moreover, it has more nearly the attributes of hickory wood than any 
tree known to the United States, being dense, hard, strong, elastic, and while 
creen, is easily wrought—becoming very hard in seasoning. Besides this there 
is no tree grown in America which is of more rapid maturity. 
Unfortunately the Eucalyptus is not hardy in the north, as frost injures 
it. Yet there is enough spare land in Florida to produce the stock which will 
keep the great manufacturers of vehicles busy indefinitely. 
The trees require considerably more moisture than do many other forest 
growths, and rich land as well, although they will grow on rather poor soil 
and make some headway in localities having but little water. 
The everglades will be the place to grow Eucalyptus and it will supply 
vehicle woods by the time the hickory shall have disappeared. 
