BY REV. \V. WOOLLS, PH.D., P.L.S. 59 



Professor Lindley (Vegetable Kingdom, p. 533), characterises 

 the Proteaceaj as one of the most useless orders to man. But this 

 opinion must be modified, as well as that which regards the 

 geographical distribution of its species, for whilst many of them 

 play an important part in the economy of nature — growing in 

 sandy, sterile, and exposed places where other plants could not 

 exist, and preparing the way for a higher order of vegetation, 

 some of the species are now utilised for the value of their timber, 

 the industrial ])roperties of their barks, the various pi-oducts 

 extracted from them by distillation, and the fruits, which may 

 prol)ably be improved by cultivation. Amongst the woods pre- 

 j)ared by the late Sir W. Macarthur for the Paris Universal 

 Exhibition, 1867, those of the following trees are enumerated with 

 greater or less commendation : — 



Stenocarpus saligious. 

 Xylomelwm pyriforme. 

 Banksia serrata. 



integrifoUa. 

 Grevillea robusta. 

 Persoonia linearis, 

 latifolia. 



Mr. Moore, F.L.S , also mentions from the nortliern districts, 

 in addition to several of those recorded by Sir William : — ■ 



Orites excelsa. 



Hellcia glabrijlora. 



H. 2)r(ealta. 



H. ternifoUa. ( Macadamia. ) 



Stenocarpus Gunning hami 



In Queensland several species of Grevillea, Banksia and Steno- 

 carpus, are likewise valued for their "■ woods. According to the 

 documents relating to the Intei-national Exhibition (1866-67), it 

 is shown that the per centage of tar and the strength of the wood 

 vinegar from some of the Froteacece bear fair comparison with the 

 results attained in other countries from other trees. 



