The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-08-06
THE FIRST EUCALYPTUS SERVICE
Eucalyptus Experiment 10 be Started
in Southern Texas.

Albuquerque, n. NJ, August G.
with the object of determining the
possibilities of eucalyptus growing
in southern Texas, arrangements
have just been made by the Forest
Service with Prof E.. C. Green, in
charge of the Bureau of Plant In
dustry Experiment Station at
Brownsville, Texas, to start very
thorough experiment at that point.
Approximately ten acres of land
will be cleared this summer and de-
voted to the planting of number
of different species of eucalyptus
which are commercially valuable,
and which at the same time give
promise of being best adapted to the
|. Climatic conditions of southern
|Texas Mr.. Rogers, who has just re-
turned to the district office of the
Forest Service at Albuquerque after
investigating conditions in southern
Texas, states that several varieties
.
near Mercedes in southern Cameron
county. Most of these trees were
planted three years ago and have
made very good growth.
There is probably no single genus
of trees which has received such
worldwide recognitino as the Gu
frequently called. Owing to many
remarkable qualities, they have been
introduced from their native home
in Australia into California, South
ern Europe, Africa, Asia, and many
parts of South America. One of the
extraordinary features of the eu-
calyptus is that they not only grow
exceedingly rapidly, but also pro-
duce wood" of exceptional hardness.
Among its many uses, the wood en-
tels irto the construction of build
ings, ships bridges. railroads, piers.
poles, paving, vehicles, furniture,
and agricultural implements, AL
generally throughout the world, their
planting range within the different
countries is very strictly defined by
climatic conditions. Eucalyptus
thrive best in a subtropical climate,
and for this reason southern Califor-
MA and portions of Mexico offer the
hoe no Df
these trees on this continent. The
particular factor with which the Gu
oaiyptus have to contend in southern
Texas is that owing to the warm,
more or less even temperature dur
ing the winter the trees rarely be-
come dormant. so that when cold
wave comes it is liable to iniure
them more or less severely. In re-
gions where the temperature de-
creases gradually during the autumn
the growth of the previous year has
time to mature and the eucalyptus
are able to stand a considerably
lower minimum temperature than
they can in Texas.
Owing to their rapid growth the
eucalyptus make a very effective
windbreak in a short time, and since
windbreaks are greatly needed in
this region these trees will probably
he planted considerably for this
purpose in extreme southern Texas,
to be killed back TO certain extent
despite the fact that they are liable
by occasional frosts If the trees are
cut back however, they generally
sprout readily from the bole. du-
ration of favorable weather for a
few years would also enable the
planter TO harvest a considerable
crop of wood material. The POSSIBLE
tiles of growing eucalyptus for wind
breaks as well as for the protection
of forest crops, will be covered in
this experiment which will be estab-
Iished at Brownsville
Movement in Texas Woods.