The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19
HER TREES
AND SHRUBS.
BY CHARLES H. SHINN,


might easily be written from the
standpoint of soil and climate. as
eXemplifed by our native and exotic
plants, shrubs and trees. The final
test is the test of actual culture Trees
OF every available species, planted, reg
1stered and studied, confirm an exact
SOIL analysis, explain the records of
rain gauges, thermometers and thermo-
graphs, and make more perfect union
between the people and their domain
Wherever the tea rose thrives, says the
legend, men and women reach their
greatest physical perfection
1t must be remembered that as soon
as one or two specimens of a valuable
shrub or tree have been established
and reached such maturity that seeds
r1pen for further distribution, by far
the greatest preliminary step has been
taken; after this, great and profitable
industries can often be developed by
the natural process of local seed dis
tr1butions. The cork oak, for instance,
is only propagated by acorns. These
can be brought from Spain in barrels
of charcoal. at great expense, but usu-
ally only one or two in a hundred will
grow. After much trouble, years of
effort and many successive distribu-
tions of small oak trees by the agri-
cultural department of the university,
and by the department at Washing
ton, we now have bearing trees in Cali
fornia. Hereafter we can plant fresh
acorns, SO per cent Of which will grow;
hence we are at last ready to estab-
lish cork oak forests, to furnish the
shoppers for our wine bottles, floats for
our fish nets and cork dust in which to
ship our Almeria grapes. hundred
years from now California can have
it's great cork oak forests, whose in
come will establish the fortunes of
families.
AS have said, we have the cork oak
The English oak, so important for its
timber, is also established; so is the
camphor, valuable for its wood, as we'll
as for the distilled products of it's
leaves and branches. One or two of the
cinnamons are following in the same
course, are established, but have not
yet fruited. The beautiful calisburia
and the lovely deciduous cypress of ths
Southern States have fruited here,
Thriving, but not yet bearing seed, we
have the acacias, which yield gum ara
bic and the famous koa acacia of the
Hawaiian Islands.
People sometimes say that every
thing grows in California OF course
this is far from the truth, for it is i'm
possible, for instance, to grow trees of
the warm, moist tropics except in CON
servatories. Coffee, cinchona, and
many other plants need a very differ
ent atmosphere. But no country in the
world can grow a greater variety
The needs of California in the way
of shrubs and trees are chiefly as fol-
lows, named somewhat in order of i'm
portance:
l. Trees yielding valuable hardwoods
Here we place the ashes, especially the
Arizona species, and the European; the
best of the rarer Eucalypts, such as
e. polythema, E. leucoxylon and E. 81
derophloia; also the newly introduced
Zeikova of Japan, many leguminous
trees, and the best of the oaks.
2. Trees of value for fuel and cheap
timber; for growth on alkali soils; for
the coast sand dunes; for the inland
barrens; in brief, for special uses. Here
We have long list, and of increasing
Importance. The Oriental Plane thrives
in black alkali, so do the Ailanthus, the
Carob, and the common Locust. Pines
of different species can be chosen to
oOlb VI Quasi DdITSIlS.
mas, very valuable group of trees
are often better than pines, possess
much tolerance of alkali, furnish ex-
cellent timber, and grow rapidly. Some
species of Eucalypts take high place in
this category.
3. Trees and shrubs of value for
shade and ornament. Here the rose
Powered, the scarlet and other beauti-
Cal IoT4
Acacias, the Jacaranda (for frostless
locations), the Sterculias, the Edward
sias and hundreds of shrubs and small
trees from countries possessing similar
climates. In this department addi-
lions are being made daily, and there
is already a maddening variety to
choose from.
4. Trees and shrubs of real promise
and Importance for economic uses, for
fibers, for medicines, for gums, ex-
tracts, essential oils, and other spe-
cial products. Here again we are lay
ing broad foundations on which new
industries may be established, as popu-
lation increases. Some of the Euca-
lypts, Acacia decurrens and other tan
bark trees, the Argan tree of Morocco
the Caesalpina tinctoria of Chilli, the
famous Cedrelas-these are only a few
of the species that belong in this group
Many others, tested from year to year
on small scale by the university OF
by private experimenters, will in the
end afford employment for our people
Even the neglected European willows
grown on large scale, cut prepared
woven. into fruit baskets, wine hamp.
ers, ETC., would help to lessen the de.
mand upon our disappearing forests
The growth of the better Eucalypts. or
a large scale, would also give us cheaI
paving material.
Everywhere throughout California
there is room for intelligent tree plant.
ing This work should properly include
the lining of every mile of country road
with deciduous trees for firewood anC
timber for shade and beauty.
From the standpoint of tree culture
however, the greatest need of this
State is a Botanic Garden sufficiently