The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-01-20
CHANGING THE CLIMATE OF THE PA
GfFfG Sk6pE
REcLAIMINa ARID WASTES.

RECLAIMlNa ARID WASTES.
Mr.. William Orton, President of the
Telegraph Company, has recently been on
an extended tour through California. An
interview held with him by the reporter Of
o Northern journal in relation to HE trip is
thus reported:
What he told the reporter was about the
late protracted dry season on the Pacific
slope, it's probable effects, and. more inter-
eating than all, what the people of that
vast region are doing TO prevent such dan
gers in the future by actually changing the
climate of the country.
OF the drought Mr.. Orton said that when
he left San Francisco, which was two weeks
ago, it threatened the people with real
been prepared for sowing, but the farmers
were afraid to put in their seed for fear the
drought would be prStracted q good while
longer. 81 don't know whether you know
any thing about the climate of the Pacific
slope," said Mr.. OrtoD. eff you do, you
know that it is not fair weather one day and
rainy the next, as it ls here. They have
dry seasons and rainy seasons and theee
come almost as regularly rs the months.
Now, if one of those rainy eeasons is de-
layed, it sometimes doesn't come at al, and
tue dry season continues till it is time for
Tue ue8V TainY bShHOu. us was JuoU LD0
crisis the people were in when Was there"
"Bat couldn't they SOW their wheat
folds and wait patiently for the rain to
come and make the wheat grow3" asked
the reporter.
"Ob, no. I see you're no agricultural
man. Why, the wheat they sowed would
all dry up or be picked up and eaten by
when to expect the rainy season, and the
land is prepared to receive the seed accord.
ingly. The wheat, you see, must be sowed
just at the right time, and il the rain comes
AZ expected it is amazing to see how the
grain shoots up. I really don't know
whether the rainy season has come yet or
not, for I've been 30 busy that have hard
ly been able to look inside of q newspaper
since left San Francisco. The day after I
left, however. l heard that it was raining in
California. Whether that was the begin
ming of the season or not don't know. II
it was the people are probably safe against
the threatened calamity. If it was not the
crops will have 80 60 over till February.
They are certain of u crop some time, any
way;n
to the plan the people have adopted TO i'm
prove the climate in tho rsiuless regions ~
| "Why, two agencies are now at work tC
| accomplish that result. They have i'm
ported the Chilian clover, which yields
| from three to seven crops every year. 1t ID
wonderful. If Gown in the beginning of 9
rainy season, 80 that it can get start, II
| will grow right along, no matter whether il
rains or not. don't know what it grows
on, but that la the fact. When harvested
it makes the finest of hay. Then there il
the eucalyptus tree, which they have trans
planted from Australia. The same rult
spplies to this as to it's growing in rainles'
| seasons. When frat planted in dry soil i
has to be irrigated the first year, bat afte
that it will take care of itself, rain or M
rain, and it grows with marvellous rapid
| ty. Wnen once started it grows at tho rate
of from Ave to ten feet in q year. Well
millions upon millious Of these trees have
been planted, and now you can see whole
forests where before was nothing but arit
wastes, When the country is we'll wooded
! with this tree there is no doubt the rainl
will come. These forests Of trees, and the
intervening fields OF Chilian clover viii
transform the appearance of the country
| entirely"
Does this tree grow in the Atlantic
States Z" =
"Oh, no. There is not one in thia par
Of the country unless it is in some oonser
| vatory, and if any conservatory has one i
must be q good many storiea high, or elst
the tree would soon lift the root of Of it
It can't grow below certain iipe of haL
frosts. One such frost as We cftan have
here would kill every tree 10 the country
The tree has always grown on the Paci6'
slope, but its uses were not Known. 1t wa:
only used for frowcod. AS I said it grow'
with wonderful rapidity, and al the tim
tho wood is hardening, so that when cut il
can be polished just like oak. Besides al
this, it is said that where tho eucsiyptu;
grows no malaria existe, SO that it ha
| sanitary uses."