The morning call., 1893-05-03
" : -
MEMORIAL TREES.

MEMOI<iAL kEES.
An agitation has begun at the East with
view of prompting the planting oil qpadro-
centennial trees, or groups of trees, to GEN.
memorate= the four hundredth year of the
white occupation: of the continent. The
idea seems good one, both from. the point
of view of utility. and likewise from a due
regard for the sentimental side Of history.
In this State there has been for some years
a general desire. for afforestation, and a
special commission has been charged with
the duty of looking after the subject at the
cost of the State.
S ientsis are not agreed on the true rela-
ti0Rs between Forests aud rain. In common
with most people Browne and Marsh hold
that forests produce precipitation. 0nthe
other hand Professor Cannot of the United
States Geological Survey. and others fol-
lowing his lead, aver that forests have no
influence upon the'ranfall. Their conten-
ton is that forests are the result and not
the cause of climatic conditions. They adj j
NIT. however. that forests have a reflex ill.,
fuenee on precipitatiQn, and that on noun
tain sides they obstfuct the waste Of surface
matter and force it to fertilIze the soii.
Coupling the argument as it stands with
the substantial fact that large portions
ofsuch countries rs Spain and Mexico were
once we'll wooded. and were then fertile
plains intersected by rivers. while. now.
they are Sunburned deserts, the trees having
been long ago destroyed. it: is safe to con-
clude that there is probably something 10
be gained by affarestaton-at any rate in "A
State like California. 49,
Ony native trees consist mainly Of two
groups, the cone-haarers and. the acori-
IA, F,-.. l.. q
six species. including The pine, the red
wood, the fir, the sprucp. the .lareli the
cedar, the cypress and others, With these
-bOtanisls couple :he acacias or wattles, which
are so valuable fer tanning. The acorn
bearers. with the live oak of The coast coun-
try at their head. have been fully described
by Professor Edward Lee Green of .Berke
ley. and thoughthe species nre;nut rs nnmer-
-:ousas those Of the conc bearers, still they
cepstitute large rtoporti0l OF our forests. !
=. To these two groups must be added the i'm
ported blue gum or eucalyptus, native Of
Australia, and of which SOME" thirty-six
specles are now growing IN this. State. OF
these three families of trees the most
valuable are the white oak and the W tiite
or yellow pine. and if new forests are TO be
planted this year with an eye to future gain 1
these should be preferred: The eucalyptus
is of. quicker growth. but its wood is less
durable. and is of.:small- value EXCEPT for
aff6restation and for rfrewood. The red
wood aud the giant. sequoia will both grow
from cuttings, but the growth Is slow Per
hans an experiment. might be made with
the latter in the hope that the trees might
be admired by the occupants of California
in the ittieth century. -. -
If we commemorate the Columbian at.ni:
versary by rree-planting, two considerations
might govern OUR action. Whether trees
cause rain, or rain causes trees. it is not
denied that forests protect The earth from
desiccation by the rays of the sun, and
therefore trees should be planted on
slOpes,'as near the tops of mountains as
convenient, and likewise on foothills where
the pent of the earth is likely to cause
water to run eff. Forests, within given
limits, are good everywhere. but they are
likely to be more useful near the headqnar-
tiers of streams than in the valleys below. .;
Again. In choosing memorial trees. pref:
erenee ought TO be given to those OF longest
lie. This would rule out the eucalyptus
and many descriptions of. the cone bearers
and acoTn-bearers It would direct atten-
ton TO such long-Iived trees as the olive. the
cypress and the white oak. We have no
means of knowing how long trees live.
The traditions which the books contain are i
mythical 1t has been said that the giant
sequoias of Caaveras were tall trees when
Solomon was building his temple; that
some Of the olives one sees in Italy were in
bearing in the time OF Julius Caesar; that
expresses growing in Tuscany flourished
when the Geths Invaded the Roman En-
pire.; Tat there are oaks in Eng land which
were cons picuous in the days of William
the GaRqueror. These stories are easily
told, and hard to disprove. There is no
doubt that the cypress and the olive are
long lived. Whether they live thousand
years or more pesterity may be able to say,
we cannot. But, on commOn-sense prinei-
pies, if @e are going TO commemorate the
epoch by tree planting. we had better plant
trees which are likely to endure for genera
tons or centuries than trees which will
blow down or be cut down for 6rewood
within the lifetime of our grandchildren.