The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1909-07-09
CALIFORNIA; NEW INDUSTRY
The Eucalyptus rreei One OF the
most Remarkable Trees In tho
World.


The tourist travelling through tho
West notices as one OF the striking
characteristics OF the California land
scapes, the tall and graceful Encaly-
plus tree. He sees IL planted In rows
for wind brakes, or In groves for shpde
and fuel Up 10 the present time the
one notable thing about this tree has
been its remarkably rapid rate of
growth, reaching In ten years a size
that native hardwood Of this country
requires from 40 TO 100 years TO reach.
But In recent years some OF our
prominent men and magazines and
dalies, and the y. ). Forestry Service
through It's bulletins have been trying
to awaken the public to the fact that
our hardwood timber supply is fast
falling, so rapidly, indeed, that we are
threatened with hardwood timber
shortage amounting almost to a
famine within about Is years. These
same Forestry Bulletins published the
statement that, 1.-THE Eucalyptus proba
bly, serve more useful purposes than
the trees Of any genus grown on the
globe +" Then Californians awoke to
the possibilities, which this tree. In
troduced into this country from Aus.
tralia about so years ago, offered TO
them Of developing new and great
industry. For the Eucalyptus is
hardwood having the strength of
hickory, the durability Of locust, and
beauty Of mahogany; and 1t can be
grown from the seed TO merchantable
timber In the short space Of ten years.
In lis native habit, at Australia and
the adjacent Islands, there are $50
species OF this tree, most of them Of
large size, and soma OF them among
the largest In the world, towering 4sO
feet In height, 200 feet TO the first
branch, and measuring over 20 feet In
diameter at the base, worthy rivals of
California's native Sequoia Gigantia.
Baron yon Meuller, the distinguish
ed botanist and timber expert, who
spent almost a lifetime In studying the
Eucalyptus In Australia, pronounced
IT 1.-THE most useful tree In the world"
Through his efforts and the efforts of
some French scientists IL was In
troduced into Europe In the countries
around the Mediterranean. 1t has al
so been largely planted in ASIA, the
SOudan, and the Transvaal, and the
British Government maintains bureau
for the distribution OF its seeds to
those parts of its African possessions
not favored with native forests.
More than 100 species have been
planted in California, where the eli
mate, soil and water conditions have
been found to be admirably suited to
to its rapid growth and best develop
ment. u S. Forestry Bulletin No. 50
says that Seeding stands will average
height growth of 100 feet in 10 years,
Under very favorable conditions in
dividual trees have reached a height
Of l25 feet and diameter Of SO inches
In 9 years" And the Forestry Society
OF California, In Bulletin No. s, states
that they will averge % feet In height
aud IL inches In diameter In 10 years.
Once planted, a grove will last for
several generations, giving timber
crop Of immense value every to 10
years, for shoots from the stump grow
more rapidly than the seedlings.
The Sante Fe Railroad Company
has planted 5000 acres OF Eucalyptus.
Other companies have begun the plant
ing of large tracts for commercial tim.
Der, for posts, piling, poles, imple-
ments, furniture, veneers and variety
OF other purposes. Interest is becom-
ing general throughout the whole
country, Profits to be obtained seem
almost too large to be possible. Cali
fornia has had golden harvest from
her mines, another from her citrus
fruits and her wheat fields. and now
dawns the era Of another, perhap a
greater than any OF the Others, from
the commercial planting Of this won