San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-09-13
greatly fallen oil.

cessful completion of the contract for
planting 100000 slips of the Austria
liam gum tree, Eucalyptus, in the City
of New Orleans. He says:
"The sprouts having been raised in
O. hot house, the planting OF these
trees commenced some six years ago,
the City Government paying at the
rate of 10 cents for each tree planted.
1t has already been proven beyond
question that this tree, when full
grown, absorbs or rather kills, the
miasmas in all malarial and fever
ridden districts wherever planted. 1t
is also believed by scientists and many
medical experts that it will prove a
safeguard against the spread of yellow
fever, as it has been seen that since
these trees have been planted
in the City of New Orleans yellow
fever has not become epidemic in that
usually yellow-fever section"
1t is reported that a very unhealthy
railroad station in the department of
Var, Southern France, has been made
healthy by a grove of forty Eucalyp-
tus trees. Efforts are now being made
to introduce this wonderful tree into
Ceylon as an antidote to jungle fever,
and it is also being carried over in
large numbers to the Jungles of In
dia. The English have given it
great attention, but the most intelli-
gent of English tree. growers believe
it too delicate to stand the cold water
of English springs. The Eucalyptus
seems determined to make the tour
of the world, but it will be found to
grow best in the La Planta States and
California.
IN CALIFORNIA.
Referring to our own country, plant
ers have met with the most wonderful
success in cultivating it on the Pacific
coast. One gentleman, who planted
several thousand treesat Wilmington,
California, says: when set out they
were only from three to five inches in
height, and in one year they grew 6
and 8 feet high"
But not only has the Eucalyptus
tree become favorite in California
for it's well-known medicinal proper
ties, but it grows so fast andto such an
enormous size that it is now being
planted for wood.
Mr.. J. H. Byers, who had farm
near the town of Colusa, on the west
bank of the Sacramento River, plant
ed $4,000 Eucalyptus of the narrow
leaved, -barked variety, which he
intends growing as an orchard, the
trees being set outabout ten feet apart.
His reason, he says,for planting IRON
bark instead of gum tree. e., blue
gums that they stand the frost bet
ter.
While 1 was at San Francisco, Mr..
w. A. Matthews came down from Sa-
cram ento to purchase $4,000 Eucalyp-
tus plants of the on-bark variety,
which he said he was going to plant
on about 100 acres of land that has
never been broken.
He said he would grow cotton the
first year between the rows of trees
and the second year sugar beets, af-
ter which the trees would be grown
alone, as they would probably cast
too much shade for the successful Gull
tivation of crops with them. Mr..
Matthews raised $4,000 trees in one
season eight inches high, from two
and a half pounds of seed gathered
from trees grown in Oakland, Califor-
MIA. This is quite important, as it
proves that the native California
seed will terminate quite as readily
as the imported article. He used on
one piece of land equal quantities of
imported and California seed and said
he found the result so much in favor
of the California seed that hereafter
he would use no other kind.
LET IT BE TRIED.
1t is unnecessary to discuss further
the merits of the eucalyptus tree.
The evidence already adduced is so
overwhelming in Its favor that it must
commend itself strongly to the favor
of our farmers and tree-growers. 1t
should be given a full and fair trial
in all the States. 1 think it would
thrive luxuriantly in the South; it
should be planted at once in all our
fever and ague districts, and if it will
suck up and dissipate the poisonous
vapors lurking in the swamps of Ar
kansas and other Southern States, it
will do a service for America worth
millions of dollars, and alleviate much
suffering. as well as save many valua-