PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 29 



Within a few years, very large tracts of good open grazing land 

 had changed into impenetrable scrub, through which it was hardly 

 possible to ride. The appearance of this "pine-scrub" was one of 

 the reasons that led the New South Wales Government to pass an 

 Act to restrict ringbarking or the cutting of timber under a certain 

 size, without special permission from the authorities. There have 

 been many instances, in other parts of Australia, of the gradual 

 encroachment of trees and scrub upon open grass-land, when the 

 conditions that restricted their advance have been removed. 



On the other hand, we have records, by some of our earlier ex- 

 plorers, of dense undergrowth and scrub, in places which now we 

 find only open forest; as on some of the old roads over the slopes 

 of the Blue Mountains. There are many causes, besides bush-fires, 

 that bring about these changes. Wattle and gum-scrub are often 

 destroyed by wood-boring insects. I do not think that the bush- 

 fires have altered the face of our coastal forest-lands, for the recov- 

 ery and rapid growth of trees after these fires, is characteristic of 

 this country. The development of the rich sugar-lands of the 

 Queensland coast, and the dairying industry in the northern dis- 

 tricts of New South Wales, have been responsible for the destruc- 

 tion of most of our eastern forests; but this has been inevitable, 

 for the land was too rich and productive to remain virgin forest. 

 It is only history repeating itself, for the whole of Southern 

 Europe, from Turkey to Southern France, was, in the dawn of 

 history, covered with huge forests, of which, now, not a vestige 

 remains. 



There are large areas of rugged broken land in all the States, 

 that are of little value for settlement ; and these should be reserved 

 for forest-conservation, and scientific re-afforestation. The forest- 

 reserves in the sand-hill, and box and cypress country, should not 

 be thrown open for selection; at the most, many of them would 

 only support three or four families, if cleared and burnt-off; 

 whereas under a proper supervision, they will produce timber-trees 

 and firewood for centuries, for the surrounding settlers. 



Many noxious plants and weeds have been accidentally intro- 

 duced; some, after a brief course of luxuriance, die out, while 



