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None of those twelve trees can be said to be suitable shade trees 
as they do not possess one of the essential requirements of a first 
class shade tree i.e., a good spreading head of branches. 
Some six or seven years ago, Mr. Ridley selected the driest part 
of the Garden for Australian plants ; Callistemons, Grevilleas, Acacias 
and three Eucalypts were planted therein. The present condition of 
those Eucalypts is as follows; — E. citriodora is now about fifteen feet 
high, of slender growth, the lower branches continually dying off and 
altogether not in a very healthful condition; E. gomphocephala is 
now about eight feet high and in a similar condition to last; E. robusta 
on the other hand, as the name implies, is of more robust growth. 
The specimen is now about eighteen feet high and in this case, the 
lower branches remain on the plant for a much longer period than 
on any of the other two. It is the most healthy specimen of the three 
and it will be interesting to note its future growth. 
It will be seen therefore, that little or no success has resulted in 
the endeavour to establish Eucalypts in Singapore. 
Why? 
Eucalypts are only and can only be propagated from seed, and it 
is to the inability of the seedling to withstand our humid climate, 
that the failure of establishing Eucalypts must be attributed. I 
have personally sown the seeds and attended them in every way 
possible and after the seedlings have produced their second leaf they 
suddenly die, damping off at the neck. This happened to all varieties 
with but one exception i.e., E. citriodora. We have now seven 
or eight fairly healthy plants in small pots and it is intended to 
try those at a later date in a variety of situations and note results. 
In support of my experience with seed and seedlings I may 
quote from one of our correspondents. He says “ I may say that 
the Eucalyptus has so far shewn no sign of being a success. The 
seeds were bedded out in the same manner as Tobacco seeds — in 
“tempat bibits Only one variety {E. hemiphloia)_ germinated at all 
in numbers, but these, with a doubtful one here and there in other 
beds, seemed to be eaten away rapidly and completely. No broken 
leaves were seen — they simply vanished ! ” 
It may not be amiss to repeat what the late Mr. Murton said in 
his Report of Botanic Gardens in 1878. He said: — 
I have been very successful during the first year in raising the 
various species of Eucalyptus, which hitherto have proved very 
difficult to raise from seed in this climate. A number of plants of 
Eucalypts as well as other plants have been supplied to the Public 
Works Department for planting in the reservoir grounds near Govern 
ment Hill and also for the reservoir grounds at Thompson Road. 
