The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-08-18

Fire Is the greatest source of injury TO em
cayptus plantations Both the natural charac
teristics of the trees and the conditions within
planted groves render them peculiarly suscep
tbe to fire injury The large quantity Of liz
ter-dry leaves, branches and shredded bark
which accumulates beneath a stand Is extreme
ly inhammable. The bark of eucalyptus Is SC
thin that the trees are injured eveR by Hghb
surface fires
The wood of blue gum Is very heavy. hard
strong and tough, but is not durable in cuntacs
with the soil 1t is close-grained and is split
with difficulty after It has dried. II is less elias
tic than hickory. but 1T has been demonstrated
by mechanical tests that seasoned blue gutn
timber is little inferior In strength and stiff
ness to the best second-growth hickory. In ap
pearance 1t closely resembles the wood OF hfck
DRY and ash.
Blue-gum timber is utilized for a great vari
ETY. of purposes In California The wood 10 exs
cellent for fuel, and In the treeless valleys has
been the chief fuel supply for many years- 10
southern California the steady demand renders
commercial planting for fuel very profitable
Eucalyptus timber has been extensively used In
California for wharf piling. Bue-gum piles ara
in use In nearly every port on the CaIifornin
coast and extended trial has shown that they
resist the attacks of marine borers which do
stroy timber in water longer than other
species commonly used for ping BluegmE
liuDeT mas also Dcen uScu TO some CNLeAL IOE
fence posts and telephone poles. The wood Is
not suitable for this purpose. however, on ao
count of its short life in the ground. Seasoned
posts last little longer than green posts and
timber cut from the heart is more durable thar
sapwood
Blue-gum timber has been used to a limited
extent to determine its value for railroad eEezy
The results thus far obtained indicate that "a
compares favorably with second grade pine-tis
timber.
The lumber has been extensively used for We
hicle stock and for wooden parts OF agricultural
implements 1t Is also made into ipsUIator pinf
for electric wiring and is used for furniture
and cabinet work. hardwood flooring, trip-harn
mer beams, the levers of windlasses, and the
blocking for oil and wine presses, wood paving
pulley blocks and belt wheels
The extensive utilization of gum lumber has
hitherto been prevented by the scanty supply Of
timber of merchantable size and by the dffi
Guilty experienced In seasoning the lumber with
out warping and checking. IL is believed, how
ever, that In the seasoning of gum no freates
difficulties will be encountered than in season
ing OF any other hardwood of similar density
and strength
, A product of considerable Importance derived
from blue gum is the oil distilled FROM the
leaves. Eucalyptus oil Is recognized us Il yalu
able drug and is extensively used by pharma
cists and physicians.
In many valleys of California eucalyptus
windbreaks are considered absolutely necessary
to insure the successful production OF crops
They have been most extensively used to safe
guard citrus orchards from strong and de,
structive winds In southern California but they
are now being established also for the pro
lection of vineyards and orchards of dec1Gsuous
fruits, olives and walnuts. The blue z7nEg OK,
cells other species for windbreak purposes on
account of its height and the rapidly OF its
growth The tall shafts of the trees bend be-
fore the wind and act as a cushion to defect n
upward over the orchard, whereas ordinary
wind-break trees form a more solid wall ana
the wind draws downward. forming eddies near
the leeward side.
Eucalyptus reproduce readily by both seeds
and sprouts. The trees bear seed III album.
dance annually. and under favorable conditions
natural reproduction is freely established
Trees also sprout vigorously from both the
stump and the roots. either after cutting OK In
response to injury. In California commercial
groves are almost invariably reproduced hS
sprouts.
Plantations should be started with young
trees and not by direct sowing, The op;.GioB
Is generally held that eucalyptus seedlings are
SO difficult to raise that their propagation Is
impracticable except for expert nurserylnn.
In point Of fact. blue gum Is one OF the roSs
easily propagated Species