7o2 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



"The Deterioration of Raw and Refined Sugar Crystals in Bulk." 

 The bacillus may also cause " The Acid Fermentation of Raw- 

 Sugar Crystals." The bacillus was found in sugar from widely 

 distant lands, from beet as well as from cane sugar; and the 

 Society is to be congratulated upon the fact that this universal 

 and important agent, which entails so great a loss to a huge 

 industry, has been discovered and investigated in its laboratory. 

 Mr. Greig Smith is doing excellent work, and is justifying the 

 sagacity of our founder who provided the means by which such 

 researches are possible under the auspices of the Society. 



4. — The Forestry Question in New South Wales. 



A few months ago I delivered a lecture before our Royal 

 Society on the " Forests of New South Wales,""^ in which I gave 

 some facts in regard to the trees and timber of this State. I 

 now propose to follow up these facts with some o'pinions in regard 

 to local forestry matters worth consideration. Although I have 

 given attention to Australian forestry for many years, I have 

 neither occult nor heroic remedies to apply at the present time, 

 but every friend of the Forest Department will admit that its 

 usefulness can be enhanced. First of all let us take stock of our 

 forest reserves. Let them be accurately defined, and let those 

 areas be rejected that are not required. It should be recognised 

 that our country contains a large proportion of land imsuited to 

 agricultural purposes ;t much of this is available for forestry 

 operations. It therefore seems equitable that the land suitable 

 for crops and good pasture should, if held at all by a Forest 

 Department, be held only until required for purposes of settle- 

 ment. 



* Agricultunil Gazette of New South Wales, July, 1901. 

 f As regards land actually utilised at present for agricultural purposes, 

 see Coghlan, Statistical Register (1901), Part ix., Agriculture, &c. See 

 figures in regard to areas cultivated under artificial grasses, under crops, &e. 

 The grazing lands (ringbarked and non-ringbarked, and natural pastures) 

 would be difficult to compute, except very approximately. 



