786 president's address. 



same time these burnings off destroy many of the insects that 

 prey on Eiicalypts. When the white man came he discouraged 

 bush fires, and the young seedHngs had now a chance of life. 

 He gives specific instances of wliole tracts of country being 

 covered with forests of young saplings since the advent of the 

 white man. No one has a more intimate knowledge of Gippsland 

 than Mr, Howitt, who says, ''in spite of the clearings which have 

 been made by selectors and others and in spite of the destruction 

 of Eucalypts by other means (plagues of leaf eating insects) the 

 forests are more widely extended and more dense than they were 

 when Gippsland was discovered b}' the white man." 



This natural spread of forests should be a comfort to those 

 who are apt only to consider the destructive action of the timber 

 getter, and to lose sight of the compensating influences that 

 are at work. 



The springing up of young forest growths where there w^as 

 formerly forest is, of course, common enough. We do not know 

 how long many seeds will remain dormant in or on the ground 

 after the old growth has been removed. It is not an uncommon 

 thing to see a straight avenue of trees not artificially planted. 

 One fine avenue known to me is along the line of an old chock 

 and log fence, and consists of She Oaks {Casua7'ina)* Oak 

 saplings were used as top-rail for this fence, and the seed from 

 the saplings germinated and the young growth was protected 

 from stock by the fence. The seedlings grew into fine trees, and 

 finally the old fence was removed, leaving only the line of trees 

 which followed the direction of the fence. 



6. — Australia's Duty in regard to Botanical Investigation 

 IN Australia and Polynesia. 



The South Sea Islands are of special interest to us in New 

 South Wales, Sydney having more intercourse with them than 

 any other Australian port. They are mainly under the political 

 control of Great Britain, France, and Germany, and all three 



* E.g., Agric. Gazette, vii. 514. 



