Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-12-14
Australian Vegetation.

race.-PtttSburgh Iron Journal.
Australian Vegetation.
Remarkably compact in form,
with an average length, from east to
west of 1900 miles and breadth,
from north to south, of l, 700. Aus
trailia contains an area only one
sixth less than thsa of Europe. A
marvellous land it is, marvellous in
its insular extent, the mineral
wealth it bas yielded to the world,
the rapidity With which large tracts
along its coast have been colonized,
mainly from the packed population
of the British Isles, and especially
marvellous on account of the variety
and anomalies of It's peculiar vegetG-
tion. 1t is said that nine-tenthS of
the 5000 species of plants found on
the island are unknown elsewhere,
and are entirely unconnected with
the forms of vegetation in an any
other division of the world. The
great majority of these belong to
two genera, the Eucalypti and Aca
cias. Of the former upwards of one
hundred varieties are spread over
the whole land. They are popular
ly known by the name of gum trees,
and are commonly classed as the
red, white and blue gums. Many
of them attain the height of two
hundred feet, with a girth at the
base of from thirty to forty feet,
while in the primeval forests some
have been found eighty feet in cir
cunference. Of them, many varie-
ties shed their bark in the winter
while their leaves, the edges of
which, instead of sides, are turned
towards the ground, remain psren-
nial.
OF the Acscias, also, there are up
wards of one hundred species dis
tributed everywhere throughout ths
country. These range from mere
shrubs to large trees, and while
some of them are entirely fOwerless,
others delight the eye with their
wealth of odoriferOus blossoms.
Among the disagreeable curiosities
of Australian flora is the Stencil
plant--Hydrocotyle densifora--
which loads the surrounding air with
All odor more repellant than that
of most offensive night soil. Anoth-
er is the Nettle-tree, the intensity of
whose poison is so virulent that the
man or beast that accidentally comes
in contact with it, is struck as if by
paralysis, and unless a remedy is
speedily applied, death inevitably
ensues. Fortunately the Arum
plant is generally close at hand, and
its benefcient juice, rubbed on the
wound, is a certain antitode to the
poison. Pines are met with only on
the eastern coast, and of them two
varieties known by the names of
Moreton Bay and Bunya Bunya,
grow to the hight of one hundred
and fifty feet, and from the excel
lence of their timber are among the
most valuable trees on the island.
Rosewood, sandal wood, satin-woOd
and cedar add to the beauty of the
forest scenery, while Yarra trees are
so invariably found along the rivers
in the interior, that their course may
by this means be traced across the
arid plains to the verge of the visible
horizon. The leaves of the Tea-tree
are used by the colonists instead of
the Chinese product, while the Sas-
safras and Castor-oil trees yield med
icinal treasures.
Ferns, lilies, nettles, ,honey-suckles,
tulips, and even grasses, in this
strange land, have the form, bulk
and HABITS of trees, while the flow
ers, though numerous and brilliant,
have, generally, little or no fragrance.
The native grasses are highly nutri-
tious, but grow in clumps, so that
continuous sward, like our meadows,
Is only found in those districts IN
which the settlers have sown import
ed grassess There is an unparalleled
deficiency among the native vegeta-
ton in fruits and vegetables fit for
human food, and all forms of cereals
were entirely absent until introdue'
ed by the colonists. Since their IN
PRODUCTION, however, they flourish
with unsurpassed productiveness,and
in the southern part of the island SIX
tyfour pounds to the bushel has been
produced in Australian wheat. Cot
ton. sugar, coffee, tobacco, bananas,
oranges and lemons have all been
lately naturalized in different parts
of the country, and apples, pear i,
plums, almonds, figs, apricots, grapes
1uinces and melons are now produc'
ed in great abundance. Indeed the
climate is remarkably favorable to
the growth of plants of all kinds I'M
ported from any part of the world;
With one or two exceptions all the
indigenous trees of Australia are ev'
ergreen. and as a rule, vegetatlou
owes its origin to a flood, and III
stead of living it's natural term, and
DYING bv natural decay, it is period
IcalIy destroyed by drought,
1t is popularity of the climate
that seasons of extreme dryness, dur
ing which not a shower refreshes th'
aid earth, occur at regular intervals
of twelve years. These visitationi
are destructive to all trees and shrub
that require even moderate amoun
of moisture to insure their growth
The following yearis always marked
by a heavy rainfall, filling the ur!
channels of water-oourses with rag