president's address. 783 



In two papers,* Dr. Bes.sey maintains, from recent observations, 

 that the greater portion of the State of Nebraska is capable of 

 supporting a tree vegetation. He claims that the absence of 

 trees is due to the prairie fires, and that now, wherever given a 

 chance, the tree area of the State is spreading. In many places 

 in our own State (including the Dorrigo) it is roundly stated that 

 trees will not grow in certain localities, e.g., grassy areas. If the 

 statements were confined to "Trees have never grown on those 

 areas since the country has been known to the white man," or 

 " I do not think that trees will grow on these areas, but I have 

 never tried the experiment," we should be on firmer ground. It 

 has 3^et to be proved that these "plains" of the Dorrigo are 

 incapable of supporting arboreal vegetation, though whether the 

 planting would be undertaken on economic grounds is quite 

 another question. The extent to which climate has been cause 

 and effect in the matter is not known as regards the Dorrigo, in 

 view of the short period that the country has been known to the 

 white man, and the paucity of meteorological records. 



Incidentally (p. 326) Mr. Pearson discusses the matter of 

 ethereal oils in the Labiatce and grasses of the patanas. I am 

 sorry I made no observations of this character in regard to the 

 Dorrigo plains. He reviews the interpretations of Tynd all's 

 observations in regard to the arrest of radiant heat through the 

 diffusion of minute quantities of essential oil in the atmosphere, 

 also Dixon's later researches, all of which is important in view of 

 the desirability of a clearer understanding of the effects on climate 

 and vegetation in Australia of the exhalation of natural Euca- 

 lyptus oil. 



Much of the collecting in New South Wales is of a spasmodic 

 character; as far as I know, the term "advanced collector" is 

 only applied to the votaries of the postage-stamp cult; I would 

 apply the term, if it l)e necessary to coin one, to the collector who 

 collects with a definite object other than that of systematic 



* "The Forest and Forest Trees of Nebraska." iiVp. Nebraska Board of 

 Agriculture, pp. 79-102, 1899. 



