CPRR planted a million eucalyptus trees

"Study to help Benicians choose trees" by Donna Beth Weilenman, © The Benicia Herald, July 13, 2010. (News Article)

" ... In the 1870s, Central Pacific Railroad planted 1 million [eucalyptus] seedlings in San Joaquin Valley, hoping to grow materials for ties, poles, posts and firewood, as well as to beautify land next to the tracks the railroad hoped to sell to settlers. But the railroad soon discovered eucalyptus ties would warp, shrink, twist and crack if not seasoned precisely. The wood wouldn’t hold a spike securely in place, and it quickly rotted. Later, the Santa Fe Railroad would make the same mistake, although on a smaller scale. ... " [More]

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