The herald., 1898-01-02
m. and corps of trained men to carry

The greatest danger to the forests In
California, as In any country with n
long dry season, is from fire.
Forest fires do more damage in Call.
fornia than all the other destructive in
fiuences put to gether. A similar danger
exists In the south of the France. and
we learn from the experiments of the
French, that full guarantee against fire.
can be given at a very moderate cost.
small and efficient patrol with proper
ly located signal stations connected by
wire with the patrol camp can be easily
organized. which, with due regard to
established fire lanes or breaks will pre-
vent any disastrous forest fires.
FORESTS THAT YIELD REVENUE
When 1t comes to the returns to be de-
rived from the forests, we have the GER
| tainty that within the present genera
ton, assuming that the uses of lumber
will continue as they now are, reuuisi-
ton will be had to the timber upon the
forest reservations made by the govern
ment, consequently, we can rely upon a
revenue from stumpage, as in foreign
| forest systems, for a source of funds
with which to defray all expenses. The
| forests in France and Germany pay q
net annual revenue into the treasury.
The average return per acre In Saxony
| for all government forests Is nearly "a
per acre. We can reasonably assume
that the magnificent timber supplies Of
the Sierra Nevada will give returns fully
equal to this. While these returns are
derived from the forests of Saxony. the
general integrity of the forests are fully
maintained and the blocks cut for COM
mercial uses are so treated that q new
90 no., to f,,I - NH
Importance of forestry Is SO great in
financial way to secure the best climatic
and agricultural results that we need
| not consider the aesthetic and sanitary
questions that are connected with II.
In Southern California there is
branch of forestry which is Of special in
terest to us. Although 1t is secondary
to the main issues presented, It Is still
| important. This Is arboriculture.
Arboriculture, in so far as It will
come within the Jurisdiction Of the fed
eral officers. will necessarily be con-
| fined to the public lands now reserved
for forests. which are all in the Sierra
mountains. Our present knowledge Of
the conditions prevailing in the Sierras,
indicate that no trees will be found more
suitable. either as to prompt maturity,
suitability to the climate or value for
imber. than the present native growths.
| Such grand trees as the fir. the sugar
pine. the yellow pine and other natives
of this district cannot be surpassed for
the character and quantity of the timber
which they furnish.
| We know also, that some of these
trees, concerning the reproductive
power Of which there has been doubt.
are vigorous in this respect when pro-
tected from the sheep. This Is especially
true Of the sugar pine. These trees,
however, have not been found suitable
in the experiments thus far made in our
valleys or low hills. In these latter dis
tricts, we have. however, found exotic
trees particularly we'll suited to our con-
ditions. The black locust, which furn-
| ishes a valuable timber, has an extens-
i've range of growth in our valleys, but
the two types of trees that have been
peculiarly suited to these conditions be-
long to the acacia and the eucalyptus.
THE EUCALYPTUS
This is hardwood tree having with
in it's species wide range of available
ity for the climatic belts Of California.
The common blue gum Is generally
suited to the valley lands In the south
ern districts Of the state and also does
we'll on our low coast foothills, such as
those about Los Angeles. We have
also in the red gum &c. rostrata) a tree
suited to a considerable district In Ari-
| iona. In the sugar gum we have
timber tree suited to dry situations in
a much greater degree than Is the blue
gum, but not capable of supporting the
severe frosts that occasionally occur in
low places. In the Il. amygdalina var.
llinearis we have q tree that resists
frosts, even as far north as Chico. Vi
minalis Is another frost resister. but
this is not a good timber tree. The tuart
and the karri are both good growing
trees in Southern California and are
valuable for timber. When we take into
consideration the sanitary benefits and
the products such as piles of timber, etc.,
the medicinal wills and kino from these
species, we can perceive the great adj
vantage which the introduction OF this
genus of trees has been and will be to
California. Already there are several
factories engaged in producing the me-
dicnal oils and gums from these trees
in Southern California and large one
is about to be inaugurated.
SOME TREES OF ESPECIAL VALUE
| The value Of the blue gum and OF sew
eral other species for piles and telegraph
poles, ETC., Is beginning to be recognized,
and at least one wharf on the coast now
uses eucalyptus timber for its piles. The
experiments at Elysian park In Los
Angeles and upon some private lands,
indicate that various species Of euca-
lyptus thrive upon our low foothills. AS
these are not available to any consid-
cradle extent for agricultural purposes,
II Is evident that an increased planting
of these trees would be both beneficial
to the land owners at the foothills and
to those owners located in the valley
beneath them. We can have little doubt
that such planting would diminish
the cutting of barrancas and gullies and
prevent flood and torrent injury to adj
jacent valley lands, and would also in
all probability renew old springs or
create new ones.
The value of the eucalyptus for sup
plies of hard wood has scarcely been
realized. We know that the supplies of
hard wood in the east are rapidly being
exhausted and it cannot be doubted that
easily accessible supplies grown here
would become very valuable.
Many other trees, such as the cork
oak, have been found to grow we'll here
but are of slow growth. Taking every