CHAPTER XXXI. 241 



come firmly rooted and the consequence is, many are lost either by 

 drought or by being blown out by the winds. 



Where any large areas of plants were blown out by the roots, care 

 was taken to have the ground immediately replanted, a gang of men 

 being sent after every storm to pick up the scattered roots and to plant 

 them, if possible, deeper than before. The entire tract being planted 

 with this grass, the next operation was the building of brush fences 

 across the wind about 100 yards apart and from four to six feet in 

 height on the sheltered side of which young seedling trees were planted, 

 averaging five feet apart. A variety of trees were experimented with, 

 among which were the Norway maple, which is so highly recommend- 

 ed in European works of reclamation, the Tamarix and the Poplar, the 

 Monterey cypress, the Pinus Insignis, the Pinus Maritima, the Acacia 

 Lophantha, the Acacia Latifolia and the Eucalyptus, Viminalis, Globu- 

 lus, &c., all of which made satisfactory progress, excepting the Norway 

 maple and the Poplar, the summer winds blowing every leaf off, almost 

 as soon as formed. The Acacia Latifolia and Acacia Lophantha, the 

 Monterey pine, the Monterey cypress and the Tamarix are all about 

 equally well adapted for standing exposed sea winds, and all seem 

 to thrive equally well in the sand but we find that the barren sand does 

 not contain nutriment sufficient to grow trees more than ten feet in 

 height, or until the tree begins to form heart wood. About that stage 

 of growth, the tree begins to show signs of distress, the leaves of the 

 Conifers gradually grow shorter, the bark gets bound and the whole 

 tree shows a stunted, starved look Acres and acres are now in that 

 state, and unless given assistance will die outright. Several years ago, 

 the work of fertilizing the forest trees was begun and wherever a load 

 of loam, manure or other good rich dressing was spread, the hungry 

 tree responded very quickly by making good growth, a more thrifty 

 look was noticed and in less than a year they had a vigorous healthy 

 look, showing that want of nourishment alone was the cause of their 

 stunted appearance. 



Now that the young Pines, Cypress, Eucalyptus, &c., are up twenty 

 or more feet high, with good soil and plenty of water, most any tree 

 that thrives in the neighborhood will do well. The willow, the elm, 

 and the poplar, as well as the oak and the maple, are doing very well, 

 and all the shrubs, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and many others 

 kinds. 



