66 



CHAPTER IX. 



PLANTING IN FOREIGN COUNTEIES. 



" Tree-planting is now receiving much attention in the 

 Far West, and California appears to be going ahead 

 in this useful pursuit with her accustomed energy 

 and success. The 'blue gum' of Australia {Eucalyptus 

 globulus) seems to be the favourite tree with extensive 

 planters, — Mr James T. Stratton, of Almeda County, 

 having had planted, more than a year ago, 130,000 

 trees of it, and the Central Pacific Company 50,000, 

 as a first instalment of a million they intend to plant 

 along the line they own, their immediate object being 

 to increase the humidity of the region and lesson the 

 liability of droughts. Other railway companies and 

 private individuals throughout the State are also plant- 

 ing largely the same valuable tree, which promises to 

 become in sub-tropic countries as useful and remuner- 

 ative to the inhabitants as are the fir, larch, and pine 

 in more temperate climes. 



" The subject of tree-planting is one that is at present 

 attracting considerable attention in the Cape Colony. 

 Every country that is subject to periodical droughts is 

 too poor to neglect planting. In this point of view, it 

 is absolutely necessary to utilise every possible means 

 of increasing rainfall and retaining moisture. In old 



