6go SCIENCE PROGRESS 



of over three million square miles involved, comprises some that are extra- 

 ordinarily abundant. In this handsome quarto volume the wealth of Aus- 

 tralia in this respect is put before us, and illustrated with a profusion and 

 excellence that is beyond praise. The colour reproductions of freshly planed 

 surfaces of the different woods are particularly beautiful, and bring home 

 in the only possible way the variety of tone and texture on which largely 

 depend their commercial possibilities. Photomicrographs of the woods 

 of a large number of species are reproduced showing their histological char- 

 acteristics as presented in transverse, and both radial and tangential longi- 

 tudinal sections. The accompanying text furnishes taxonomic details and 

 information respecting the geographical ranges of the species, descriptions 

 of their timbers, and technological details such as uses, relative hardness, 

 weight, and, not infrequently, data regarding breaking loads, modulus of 

 rupture, etc. 



In addition to the specific descriptions a number of chapters are devoted 

 to the various physical properties and the economic applications to which 

 the timbers of Australia lend themselves. 



The fact that most impresses one on reading these pages is the enormous 

 importance of the genus Eucalyptus. About 180, or nearly two-fifths, of 

 all the different kinds of timber that Australia furnishes are the product of 

 species of this group. To many the name Eucalyptus is only associated with the 

 ethereal oil employed as a specific for " colds," and indeed the diverse members 

 of the genus supply no inconsiderable part of the raw material for the per- 

 fumery trade. But, if less familiar, the importance of the Eucalypts as 

 timber-trees can scarcely be over-estimated. The extraordinary variety 

 and high commercial value of their wood cannot be equalled by any other 

 group of trees, and the range of hardness, appearance, and technical qualities 

 which they present are such as to furnish excellent substitutes for many 

 timbers of commerce derived from a large range of genera and families. 



The colour ranges from the pale, almost white, wood of E. fraxinoides, 

 similar in character to European ash, through the deep yellow box-like 

 wood of E. melliodora, to the mahogany-like E. rostrala or the dark red- 

 brown of E. redunca. The fire-resisting properties of Eucalpyts are well 

 known, and in the case of E. Fletcheri it is about seven times that of the 

 English oak. Their durability is correspondingly high, and the author 

 cites the case of a slab of E. paniculata, used in the construction of a stable, 

 which was in an excellent state of preservation after an exposure to the 

 elements of over one hundred years ! 



To those who consider the increasing demand for timber, and the con- 

 dition of the world's supplies, it is clear that the continued exploitation of 

 virgin forests cannot be long maintained at its present rate. With the 

 necessity for replanting, or natural regeneration, the length of time that 

 must elapse before the timber matures is an important factor ; for even 

 when the amount of the original outlay is small the accumulated debt is 

 often the determining influence for success or failure. 



It is the phenomenal rapidity of growth of many species of Eucalyptus 

 which at once marks them out as one of the great sources of timber supply 

 for the future. It is perhaps scarcely too much to say that, properly ex- 

 ploited, the timbers of these trees may become, for the hardwood industry, 

 what the coniferous timbers are amongst soft-woods. 



Mr. Baker insists strongly on the necessity for reform in timber nomen- 

 clature, which, he says, " must be faced sooner or later by foresters, timber- 

 merchants, and all connected with the trade, in order to circumvent the 

 confusion that exists in so many instances in connection with the same 

 species having a different common name in its various localities." Moreover, 

 to add to the confusion, one name often does duty for several species, as, for 

 example, " Blue Gum," applied equally to the heavy pale timber of E. globulus 



