, 1881-05-01

THE EJ!1LY2FU3 F37 33-rRHE.
The great success which has attended tn
cultivation Ut The Eucalyptus or sun trc
III the 4uAIarnus Itotnan CAmpaSt!a ha
called fresh attention to its sanitary virtues
In the current number Of the P0puht
Science Jfnnthly Prof. Draper, Of Dublin
contributes Il paper upon this subject, ant
the Information which he s:ts forth is no
only interesting, but is full Ut suggestion:
that have a local bearing in our own country
As a drainer Of tile soil and purifier of til,
atmosphere it has NO Equal, its roots taking
the wafer and gases from the earth like q
pump. The tree is indigenous to australia
and, being rapid grower, attains there t0
nights varying from two hundred to three
hundred feet. The leaves are narrow, as a
rule, atld, being white upon one Of their
sides, closely resemble the willow. Its
| flowers are pinkish Or white, and in the latte.
case resemble the myrtle. The fruit contains
tile seeds, and these are SO minute that it is
said more than 10000 plants can be raised
from a pound Of then.
! One of the m'sE Interesting portions Of
Prof. Drapes's article is devoted to his visit
! to the Roman Ca'ipaglla. which he briefly
| describes as a vast u1uulat:ny plain, owing
| its present aspect to volcanic agency.
| ''Fiterny into d soil loaded with easliy-de
composed sulphur compounds, the decom-
posing vegetable matter finds no exit through.
the underlying rock. The consequences ma.
,be imagined, but to those who have net ex-
ptrie"ced them are not easily described"
Prof. Draper visited the 4tDhty OF the Ire
Fontail1e, where the Eucalyptus expert
| mrnt has been 1naae. Prior 10 the planting
of these trees the Abbey WAS comparatively
deserted, owing to the malaria, but now
twenty-nlne Brothers sleep there in safety.
They cultivate III least eIsven different va
rirties Of the tree. The rapidly of their
growth Is marvellous. Trees fur years nld
were twenty-slx feet high and twenty-ttellt
inches in circumference, showing 4 growth
Of six or eight feet Il year. Otner trees
uf eight years growth were fifty feet
high and nearly three feet in circum-
ference; while in Algeria, trees ouiy
five Years old have been found that were
sixty feet in hight. AS to the sanitary
changes effected BY the trees, Prof. Draper
shows two causes. Tie first Of these is the
enormous quantity OF water which the plant
can take from the soil. 4 square yard of the
4-ACAi1 lk&o Will tAI4tlE 4ulU LIT ttt4lUSptiCle-
during twelve hours four pintS Of water. As
the SQUARE yard OF leaves weighs TWO and
three-quarter pounds, it shows that any
given weight Of the leaves can transfer FROM
tile soil to the atmosphere nearly twice that
weight of water. H. Ealte. Il French writer.
estimates that the weight of water Is equal
to foar or five tiules the Weight of the leaves.
P.of. Draper says: ''Oue ceases TO wUuder
1T these figures Oh learning that 1t has been
found possale to count on a square MILL
metre of the under surface Of 4 single leaf of
Eucalyptus gl0butNs no less than $50
sto'u,ttl, or breathing pores. And it now
begins to be intelligible tllAt, il such
an enormous quantity Of water can be I
transferred from earth to mir, it may
be possible that an atmosphere, which |
without aid would be lad.n with malarious
exhaations may be rendered pure by this
process of leaf distil1aton,-tlle pulrascibIe
constituents of the stagnun1 wafer are ab-
sorbcd by the roots and become part Of the
tissue Of the tree The second
cause of its sanitary virtue is found in the
fact that tie leaves secrete an aromatic eS-
sential oil in large quantities. and oy the
rapid oxidation of these oils large Quanri-
ties Of peroxide OF hydrogen are thrown otT,
which Is 4 powerful disinfectatt. The proc
PISS of oxidation also produces substances
analogous to ca!npl1or, which Is also very
useful hygientc agent.
In our own country little or no attention is
given 10 the cultivation Of this tree, except in
California, where Il great man, have been
planted during the Unst ten years 1t easily
grows in the dry soil there. as its roots strike
lown until they find water, and it will
yrow III wet soil just as well. It is
lot grown there for sanitary purposes, as
he climate is dry and healthful, but for
hadc. ornament. and for fuel. III the latter
espect it is admirable, a, it is so fill of oil
hat it burns equal to hickory. We suppose
could be grown in this country anywhere
Iloug the malaruus coast from Charleston
q the mouth Of the Rio Grande. Wherever
lie thermometer duos not fail below 20 DE-
srees Fahrenheit the Australian gun,-tree
yill live and thrive. With tree that grows
en- feet year and prevents malaria, and
'urns for fuel equal to hickory. 1t is remark
olo that it has not been planted all along
'ur southeastern coast from Charleston to
he Rlo Grande, Il region in which maarlous
nd intermittent feyers are very common.
these diseases yield to tho Influence Of these I
rees, As has been shown in tile Canpag1la,
md the experiment is certainly worth a
rial.