THEY SAVED THE OAKS

Eucalyptus trees began being imported into California from Australia as early as the 1860s. They were prized as ornamentals and for possible utilitarian uses such as pier pilings and later as railroad ties. The railroads invested heavily in them, in part because they had plenty of land on which to experiment with this new crop. Alas, they didn’t make good pilings or ties.

Then, in 1905 something dramatic happened which changed the fortunes of eucalyptus and native oak trees in California forever. The United States Department of Agriculture published a paper in which they predicted that eastern hardwood forests would be exhausted by the early 1920s. Consequently, the American hardwood industry, primarily furniture manufacturers, would be severely impacted. Americans rushed to find a substitute for oak, hickory, maple, etc.

Promoters quickly settled on the eucalyptus, which was rumored to be used successfully in Australia for furniture. Eucalyptus trees of many species were imported along with their seeds and were sold to investors. Tens of thousands of acres of eucalyptus trees were planted, especially the faster growing species, i.e., blue, red, and sugar gums. As economic ventures, the whole thing was a bust. The eucalyptus trees that were being used in Australia in the furniture industry were 400 year old specimens with well aged heart wood. The furniture was not very satisfactory by American hardwood industry standard. Eucalyptus of all species tended to warp and to crack. A little judicious investigation would have determined that - but then the promoters were only interested in selling trees.

While all this was going on, people in California continued to heat and cook with wood. By the 1920s wood cutters around towns like Fresno were having to travel 20-30 miles away from the City centers to find oak trees to harvest to satisfy the demand for fuel wood. Before long, native oak trees in much of settled California would be gone and only a memory. Then came the eucalyptus frenzy and many farmers planted part of their land to eucalyptus. In the end, those plantings made good firewood and were quickly replace by the rapid growth of stump sprouts. Eucalyptus trees could be had close in to urban areas and every farm had a wood lot.

As it turned out, the Department of Agriculture was wrong. The hardwood supply in the east did grow thin, prices did go up, and because of increased prices, we have yet to run out of hardwoods.

Oak trees continued to be cut to clear the land for crops and for grazing purposes. Frequent fires and livestock generally get seedling oaks.  But, the advent of the eucalyptus fiasco slowed the great oak tree slaughter and helped preserve those monarchs of the west.

Eucalyptus trees, both blue and red gums, were widely used as windbreaks in California, primarily on the margins of citrus groves. In the Central Valley of California there massive plantings of eucalyptus trees on soils that aren’t even very good for grazing lands. The trees are being grown for paper pulp.

By the way, the oldest eucalyptus tree in the City - the one with the largest trunk - is located on the Hummingbird’s Nest Ranch. It was probably planted by Charles Emerson Hoar during the 1870s or 1880s.

                                                                                    Mike Kuhn

                                                                                    6-27-01