Forest Culture and Eucalyptus Trees

Library of Congress. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Chap Shel Eucalyptus Globulus. FoE\^EST Culture Eucalyptus Trees. e!iljx_i"^7Vooxd cdoo:e':eifl. The only Complete and Reliable Work on the Eucalypti Published, in the United States. SAN FRANCISCO: Cubery k Company, Steam Book and Ornamental Job Printers, No. 414 Market Str(?e[, below Saasome. 1876. T3w .A'^ CONTENTS. Page. Introduction 5 Forest Culture and Australian Gum-trees : A Lecture (third of a series), delivered by EUwood Cooper, Nov. 26, 1875, before the Santa Barbara College Association.. 9 Descriptions of Thirty-two Varieties of Eucalyptus- trees : Copied from the Pamphlets of Baron Ferd. von Mueller 31 • Description of Twenty Varieties : Copied from the Plant Catalogue of Anderson, Hall & Co. , Sydney '. 40 Forest Culture in its Relations to Industrial Pur- suits : By Baron Ferd. von Mueller 45 Application of Phytology to the Industrial Purposes OF Life : By Baron Ferd. von Mueller 121 Australian Vegetation : By Baron Ferd. von Mueller — 167 Santa Barbara College Catalogue 205 INTRODUCTION. In presenting to the public a printed copy of ray ^^ Lecture on Forest Planting and Australian Gum- Trees,^ ^ delivered before the Santa Barbara College Association, for the benefit of the library, it is necessary to preface the lecture by the statement that it appears in print in consequence of repeated demands for the publication from several localities in the south- ern part of California. Forest protection, the want of trees, in almost every part of the State, is mani- fest to all owners of land, who are eager to begin the planting ; the only question being—What shall we plant ? The rapidity of growth of the Blue Gum, and the facility with which it can be propagated, is a feature of great importance ; but information is wanted. Much that has been written on the subject is mere speculative theories, often contradictory, and too uncertain to merit the confidence necessary to base such an important industry. This industry not only necessitates that the protection should be cheap- ly and quickly obtained, but that the tree should have a value for mechanical or other purposes. This value gives confidence to the planter, without which it can not be expected the work will go on. The inquiry comes, What is the value of the tree ? This is the : " 6 ii^TRODUCTION. vital question to the man who invests money, time, or labor in the enterprise, and the question I have aimed to answer. In treating of forest - planting I have, to some extent, done nothing more than give the opinions of great writers on the subject, and in their own language. The sources of original ideas in any subject are few. I have, therefore, thought it wiser to copy than give anything of my own, less impressive. In a short essay the subject could not be handled with anything like completeness, and in gathering together fragments from the writings of Franklin B. Hough, the Hon. Geo. P. Marsh, Prof. Lovoe, and others, I have selected that which I thought most valuable, having in view but the one purpose — to present something to the public that would impress them with the importance of this industry. In the investigation I learned, through my corre- spondence with the Hon. Thos. Adamson, Jr., Unit- ed States Consul - general at Melbourne, that Baron Ferd. von Mueller, of Australia, had published several pamphlets on the ^^Eucalyptus-trees, and the Im- portance of Forest Culture,'''' but that a copy could not be obtained. Mr. Adamson, however, wrote that the Baron would send the copies in his possession provid- ed I would have them published at my own risk, in a connected form. I have deemed the subject of so great and vital importance that I present to the public, in this book, a part of the writings of this valuable author First— "Descriptions of Thirty.two Varieties of the Eucalypti Family. " iN'tRODUCTION. 7 Second ''Forest Culture in its Relations to Indus- trial Pursuits." Third. — " Application of Phytology to the Indus- trial Purposes of Life." Fourth. — " Australian Vegetation." I have in addition to the above the following, which will soon appear in a separate volume : First. — << The Trees of Australia, Phytologically Named and Arranged, with Indications of their Ter- ritorial Distribution." Second. — ''The Principal Timber-trees Readily Eligible for Victorian Industrial Culture, with Indi- cations of their Native Countries, and some of their Technologic Uses." Third, — "Select Plants (exclusive of timber-trees) Readily Eligible for Victorian Industrial Culture, with Indications of their Native Countries and Some of their Uses." Fourth. — " Additions to 'Select Plants.' " ' Fifth " Second Supplement to the ' Select Plants. Sixth. — "The objects of a Botanic Garden in Rela- tion to Industries." Ellwood Coopeb. FOEEST CULTUKE AND A LECTU RE (Third of a Series) Delivered by ELLWOOD COOPKR,, November 26th, 1875, befobk the Santa Bareaba College Assoclation. <' The presence of stately ruins in solitary deserts is conclusive proof that great climatic changes have taken place within the period of human history, in many eastern countries, once highly cultivated and densely peopled, but now arid wastes. << Although the records of geology teach that great vicissitudes of climate, from the torrid and humid conditions of the coal period to those of extreme cold which produced the glaciers of the drift, may have in turn occurred in the same region, we have no reason to believe that any material changes have been brought about, by astronomical or other natural causes, within the historic period. We cannot account for the changes that have occurred since these sui|ipurnt and sterile plains, where these traces of man's first civilization are found, were clothed with a luxuriant vegetation, except by ascribing them to the improvident acts of 10 FOREST CULTURE AND man in destroying the trees and plants which once clothed the surface and sheltered it from the sun and the winds. As this shelter was removed the desert approached, gaining new power as its area increased, until it crept over vast regions once populous and fer- ,tile, and left only the ruins of former magnificence." '< There are parts of Asia Minor, of Northern Africa, of Greece, and even of Alpine Europe, where the operation of causes set in action by man has brought the face of the earth to a desolation almost as complete as that of the moon. And though, within the brief space of time men call the ^ historical period,^ they are known to have been covered with luxuriant woods, verdant pastures, and fertile meadows, they are now too far deteriorated to bereclaimable by man. Nor can they become again fitted for human use except through great geological changes, or other mysterious influences or agencies of which we have no present knowledge, and over which we have no prospective control. The earth is fast becoming an unfit home for its noblest inhabitants, and another era of equal human crime and human improvidence, and of like duration with that through which traces of that crime and improvidence extend, would reduce it to such a condition of impoverished productiveness, of shattered surface, of climatic excess, as to threaten the depravation, barbarism, and perhaps even extinction of the spe- cies." '< In European countries, especially in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Frajace, "where the injuries resulting from the cutting off of timber have long since been realized, the attention of governments has been turned to this subject by the necessities pf the case, and con» EUCALYPTUS TREES. 11 servative measures have, in many Instances, been successfully applied, so that a supply of timber has been obtained, by cultivation, and other benefits resulting from this measure have been realized." In these countries there are over two dozen schools of forestry, where special instruction is imparted to the youth who are to take the future care of the public forests and private plantations. The attention of our Government was called to the importance of reserving timber for our navy, and an Act was passed March 1, 1817, making reservations of public lands for this purpose. This Act, however, proved ineflTectual, and has along time since been dis- regarded, and there is nothing at the present time to prevent the complete destruction of every wooded spot in the country. '< The preservation of forests is one of the first inter- ests of society, and consequently one of the first du- ties of government. All the wants of life are closely related to their preservation ; agriculture, architect- ure, and almost all the industries seek therein their aliment and resources, which nothing could replace. " Necessary as are the forests to the individual, they are not less so to the state. It is from thence that commerce finds the means of transportation and ex- change, and that governments claim the elements of their protection, their safety, and even their glory. << It is not alone from the wealth which they offer by their working, under wise regulation, that we may judge of their utility. Their existence is of itself of incalculable benefit to the countries that possess them, as well in the protection and feeding of the springs and rivers as in their prevention against the \vashing 12 FOREST CULTURE AND away of the soil upon mountains, and in the beneficial and healthful influence which they exert upon the atmosphere. << Large forests deaden and break the force of heavy winds that beat out the seeds and injure the growth of plants ; they form reservoirs of moisture ; they shelter the soil of the fields, and upon hill-sides, where the rain-waters, checked in their descent by the thous- and obstacles they present by their roots and the trunks of trees, have time to filter into the soil and only find their way by slow degrees to the rivers.

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