574 BOTANICAL NOTES OX QUEENSLAND, 



go on increasing. This and the African Marigold {Tacjeies 

 glanclulosns) bid fair to overrun all the open country. They form 

 a thick growth already, the latter sending up stems which are 

 eight and ten feet high. 



I may here remark in passing, that the black soil becomes 

 almost impassable in wet weather. It forms a thick and stiff 

 tenacious clay, through which the roots and stems of the grasses 

 interlace, making it as tough almost as gutta percha. It clogs 

 round the feet of cattle and horses so that they stagger about 

 with these enormous clay boots on their feet. Those who have 

 had the misfortune to be overtaken by rain when driving through 

 such soil, will like myself, probably never forget their experiences. 

 Travelling soon becomes an impossibility. The wheels become 

 large, clumsy disks of black clay and grass requiring long and 

 severe work with a hatchet or spade to set them free. When 

 this process has to be repeated every mile or so, and the rate of 

 travelling is about a mile an hour, one can guess what sort of 

 progress is made and what tedious labour entailed. 



In the rich soils the vegetation of the Brigalow is more uniform 

 and there are but few other trees noticed besides Brigalow. In 

 the poor soils the scrub is more dense. Interspersed in all such 

 thickets we find four or live trees of small size which are widely 

 distributed throughout Australia, EremopliiJa mitcheUi is one of 

 them. This also goes by the name of Sandal Wood from the 

 pleasant odour given off by the wood not only when freshly cut, 

 but also for a long time afterwards. It is said that this wood 

 will keep away that domestic pest of Queensland households the 

 Blcdta or cockroach. I cannot confirm this statement. I had a 

 good sized billet cut and planed, and the odour from it was so 

 strong as to perfume one of my trunks in which it was placed, 

 but the cockroaches treated it with the utmost disdain. They 

 ran over it and laid their eggs under it just as if it had been put 

 there for their accommodation. This tree has been found 

 throujrhoiit the whole extent of Australia. I have seen it on the 



