THE BLUE GUM.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 7, 8 January 1881, Page 4

THE BLUE GUM.

Tbe YHYeraWs London correspondent writes : — Now Zfalaf.d readers ought to know how famous blue gum ia becoming at this end of the world. The followiog is from ths Naples correspondent ofthe Daily News. This healtby tree is destined to piny a great part in the improvement of Italian soil. Senator Torelli, in his project for draining Bod improving the malaria districts through ■which so many Italian railways run, indicates the planting of the eucalyptus ns a ptiocipal means to tbis end. Private pereons and railway oompanies have made trial of various species of this tree, snd in all cases tbe rtsult has been roost beneficial. In North Italy tbe eucalyptus amygdilina has succeeded well in exposed places. A most magnificent example of this Bpecieß may be seen iv the garden of Prince Troubtzkoi, near Intra. The tree is 10 yeara old, ond measures 5 feet in diameter and about 60 feet in height. In 1870 the railway company Alta Italia planted 462 trees nt Venlimiglia, since which time the sanatory condition of that piece haa greatly improved. At Santa Severa, one of lho unbenlthiest pieces, Ibe globulus has already bed a beneficial fffct, . . . The largeet field of experiment, however, is the Tre Fontane, three kilometres outside Porta Ostiense, where the Trappist monks, aided by the State, have fought pgainet tbe malaria. In 1868, the air of this district, especially at the monastry, was co deadly that to pasa b night there was to catch a fever. The monastry was known by the name ol "The Tomb." In 1869-70, the Trappiats made drains and plauted the eucbl'yptue, going during lour years tc pcBB tbeir nights bt Romp, in which

space of time they lost twelve of tbeir number by miasmatic fever. At tbe end of lour yearß they could again sleep at the Tomb, and laet year a large concession of territory was made to them, with the obligation that they Bhould plant 100,000 eucalyptus trees ia ten years. Senator Torelli defloes fhe f ucalyptus as a natural pump, and it is proved that it absorbs ten times its own weight of watsr, which is returned to the atmosphere in the shape oi vapours rich in camphor, A Captain Mynard, who was annoyed by the rr>orquitcc9 in Algeria, tried the effect of planting a scrall eucalyptus io a pot, und placing it in his bedroom, and it drove them all away. It ie proposed lo make the plfinling of this tree in icfecfed districts of Italy obligatory by law.