Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-26

ing industry or the l Oluen state anu
the hope of the nation. Comment was
openly hostile or was accompanied Dy
that faint praise or SLY warning more
disastrous than open condemnation
Today the public prints are right
about-face. Few and far between Is
the publication that denies the value
and future and Importance of the tim
ber eucalyptus, and the great magazines
are creating widespread interest
through the publication OF articles de-
voted to the eucalyptus industry.
Two short years have effected
marvellous change. Then. Ignorance.
suspicion. antagonism; now, growing
knowledge, appreciation, enthusiasm.
The commercial planting of eucalyp-
tus trees to produce hardwood timber
for use in the industries. manufactures
and arts is attracting much attention
in California and elsewhere. The grow
ing interest is based on a realization
of the situation with respect to hard
wood supply and a dawning knowledge
that the commercial eucalypts are OF
vast importance to the economic future
of the nation.
The purpose of this article is to set
forth briefly the basic facts and
figures upon which the Industry Is
founded Californians have a sight
acquaintance with the eucalyptus tree,
commonly called the gum" tree but
few possess knowledge of 1t or have
given thought to its commercial value
or the production on an enormous scale
to supply hardwood timber.
The characteristics of the principal
varieties. considering only those species
which have economic value as timber
trees, are as follows: All produce
hardwood, the degree of hardness
varying in the different species. All
are evergreen. All grow rapidly, the
rate of growth varying widely in diff
ferent species.
To most persons II would seem un-
wise to select the best farm lands. pre-
pare the soil with great care and thor
oughness, laboriously plant hardwood
trees by the hundreds of thousands,
and cultivate and care for them with
the pains and thoroughness given to
berries or fruits. Yet there is sound
commercial basis for such enterprises.
and today corporations and individuals
are planting many acres OF just such
lands in just such a manner, and with
the full conviction and knowledge that
the profit will be a splendid return on
the investment. Large interests are
waking to the economic significance
of the eucalypts and the fast ap-
preaching hardwood famine. The great
railway corporations are finding their
costs running high and their supplies
running low; great manufacturing in
dustries are curtailing production,
plants are suspending, and investments
are being charged off preparing to
to cease operations Supply must be
maintained; demand satisfied.
Originally the trees were regarded as
suitable for forest cover, for wind
breaks, for hedgerows, and for fuel.
Commercial planting to produce mer-
chantable hardwood timber was not Sc
riously considered until now, and con-
sequently the better species to produce
commercial timber we're not sought for
and seldom indeed were the trees given
conditions to promote best and quick
est growth.
The value of the trees for forest
cover, windbreak, fuel, land reclama-
ton, water conservation, improvement
of climate, also consideration of the
value and importance of the by-prod
ucts resulting from a complete utiliza-
tion of the tree, is a vastly interesting
subject, requiring detailed treatment.
By-products number scores, their value
looms great Utilization of the trees
may be so great as to rival the far