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Show -11- Extensive forests of eucalyptus could be planted which in five years would not only beautify the surrounding country but would render a respectable revenue to the planters, as it affords an excellent timber for ship-building, wagons, etc., and firewood equal to the best maple. The countries of which it is indigenous are free from all kinds of fever, the leaf of this tree being an absorbent of malaria, and on account of its sanitary and other useful properties large quantities of it have been planted all over the East Indies and part of Africa by orders of the English and French Governments. Taking into consideration the extreme richness of the soil, and during the greater portion of the year the mildness of the climate, there is no reason why this tree should not attain the stately proportions that it does in Australia. The sugar-beet, mangel-wurtzel, sugar-cane, rice, bananas, corn, and tobacco could be grown with great success and most profitable results. The pig-weed (Heracleum, Bot.), which grows to such immense dimensions. I have already alluded to as being of the best family. There are certain portions of this basin that are peculiarly adapted to the production of the best tobacco, sugar cane, and dates; I allude to those slightly impregnated with alkaline matter; indeed, the most luxuriant date trees, the most prolific growth of sugar-cane and beets, I have seen growing in lands strongly impregnated with alkaline matter. Any quantity of beets, mangel-wurtzel, and sugar-cane could be grown on these lands, which not only would supply food for immense herds of stock but would yield a large amount of sugar annually, which would be quite an item to the commercial world, and particularly so to San Diego. |