BY THE RET. J. E. TEXISOX-AVOODS, F.L.S., E.G. 8. 573 



abundant and the dry, black cracked earth looks singularly arid 

 and desolate. But the Brigalow (I am speaking now only of 

 the sj)ecies A. liarpopliylla) is he^^e a rich looking and luxuriant 

 tree, and as 1 have already remarked, rising in a mass of foliage 

 from the very earth. It is said that of late years the Brigalow 

 has considerably increased and that the pastoral qualities of many 

 portions of the downs have mnch deteriorated in consequence. 

 Prom the amount of young trees on these downs I have no doubt 

 that Brigalow has spread rapidly, and is spreading. Mr. 

 O'Shannessy the well-known botanist of the Emerald District 

 informs me that he has discovered the cause of this. He finds 

 that the root suckers of the tree which spread a long way from 

 the stem, always send up shoots when they are exposed and 

 bruised. This happens frequently now from the abundance of 

 cattle which keep down the grass. As far as I am aware the 

 pods or seeds are not much eaten so that the explanation above 

 given seems the only feasible one. If some means cannot be 

 found to check the growth of the shoots, the value of the sheep 

 and cattle runs will be reduced in an alarming way. 



The black soil downs are also covered by a very beautiful 

 <3rimson flower which deserves cultivation in our gardens as much 

 as any member of the Australian indigenous flora. It is like a 

 Waratah on a small scale with this difference, that it belongs to 

 a different order (ThymelecB) and is very much more abundant ; 

 I refer to the JPimelea hcematosfachi/ui. When first I saw the 

 plant on the black soil of the Westwood Railway Station, about 

 30 miles west of Hockhampton, I thought it must be an escape 

 from some garden. The beautiful head of scarlet flowers, varie- 

 gated with the bright yellow anthers made it a most conspicuous 

 addition to the flora of the plains. But as I travelled west I 

 found the plains to be perfectly crimson from the abundance of 

 these plants. I am told that it has increased very much of late 

 years, and as it aj)pears not to be eaten by stock while the grasses 

 all round are devoured, there is every probability that it will 



