58 EUCALYPTS CULTIVATED IN THE UNITED STATES. 
On young trees the leaves are mostly round or oval, while those of 
the mature treesare nearly lance-shaped. (See Pl. LXXXI,c.) The 
latter are somewhat thick, the upper surface being a shiny dark green 
and the lower surface dull and lighter in color. The bloom is profuse 
from an early age, and the flowers are conspicuous among the leaves. 
During the blooming season the trees are visited by large numbers 
of bees. It produces flowers during several months, the autumn being 
the time of the year when bees frequent it’‘most. The unopened buds 
are club-shaped and the cover abruptly pointed. The fruit is oblong, 
urn-shaped, with longitudinal streaks or faint grooves showing on the 
face of some specimens. (See Pl. LVI.) 
Climatic requirements.—The Sugar Gum will grow in a variety 
of climates. It thrives in California within a few hundred yards of 
the water of the Pacific Ocean, and grows equally well in parts of the 
dry valleys of southern Arizona. It profits by moisture, but will 
endure a great amount of drought. In the interior valleys of southern 
California and Arizona it withstands both the intense heat of summer 
and the frosts of most winters, enduring a maximum temperature of 
110° to 115° F., and a minimum temperature of 20° to 25° F. As illus- 
trations of its adaptability to different environments, fine specimens of 
these trees can be seen at Santa Monica, Cal., and near Glendale, Ariz. 
Uses.—The Sugar Gum can be used as a forest cover in hot, arid 
regions where the frosts are not too severe. Baron yon Mueller says: 
‘** For desert country this is one of the most eligible among timber Euca- 
lypts,” using the term *‘timber Eucalypts” in distinction from the smaller 
species (called in Australia ** mallee shrubs”’) that thrive in hot, desert 
regions. Among those attaining the stature of trees the Sugar Gum 
is one of the best for forest culture ina desert region. It must be 
understood, however, that it does not endure the heaviest frosts that 
occur in winter in some parts of the arid Southwest having hot sum- 
mers, nor the high temperatures of some of the hottest valleys. Thus 
far it has been used in California chiefly as an avenue shade tree, its 
value as-a forest and timber tree not having been realized by many. 
To be sure it is a useful species for furnishing shelter and shade to 
stock in desert regions, but its greater usefulness lies in other directions. 
The Sugar Gum deserves to be planted much more generally and upon 
a much larger scale than it has been, it being one of the most generally 
useful species of the genus. It does not grow quite as rapidly as the 
Blue Gum, but is more useful for many purposes. As a source of 
fence posts it is very valuable. 
The Sugar Gum furnishes a timber that is very durable as railway 
ties, as posts, and for other underground situations. Baron yon 
Mueller states that posts set in the ground fifteen years showed no 
signs of decay. The wood warps very little in drying, and when dry 
is very hard. It is also useful for the naves and felloes of wheels. 
