1923] WILSON, NORTHERN TREES IN SOUTHERN LANDS 65 



is dry and covered with thorny scrub. The north is scarcely known and 

 not at all so far as its forest wealth is concerned. The southwestern 

 corner only of the vast region of Western Australia — a region one-third 

 the size of the United States—is fairly well forested with Eucalyptus chief 

 of which are Jarrah and Karri (Eucalyptus marginataSmith and E. diver si- 

 color F. V. Muell.). There are plenty of hardwoods but no softwoods. 

 Callitris and Actinostrobus, the only indigenous conifers, are small and 

 commercially valueless as a source of merchantable timber. In eastern 

 Australia climatic conditions are more varied but except in Queensland 

 softwoods are everywhere needed. South Australia is poorly forested. 

 Victoria and New South Wales are rich in valuable species of Eucalyptus 

 and in the dry interior parts of the last-named state certain species of 

 Callitris grow more or less gregariously and furnish timber very serviceable 

 for fencing and similar purposes. Queensland, much of which is north of 

 the tropic of Capricorn, has near the coast fine mixed forests of trees 

 yielding timber useful for all purposes. Less settled than the other eastern 

 states the forests of Queensland have suffered comparatively slightly and 

 now if rightly used will be found one of her greatest assets. There are 

 hardwoods in quantity and what is more important a considerable supply 

 of softwoods in Agathis and Araucarias. In Queensland the chief problems 

 of forestry center in the natural regeneration of indigenous trees and the 

 judicious exploitation of the forest wealth. Exotic trees, except perhaps 

 some of the more tropical species of Pinus, are not likely to be of importance 

 in afforestation work. The other four states, New South Wales, Victoria, 

 South Australia and Western Australia, are not so fortunate. For supplies 

 of softwood timber they will have to rely upon exotic trees or continue to 

 import it from other countries. It is true that various species of Callitris, 

 a genus related to the northern Cupressus, are indigenous in each state 

 but as a source of softwood timber they are negligible except perhaps in 

 the dryer parts of New South Wales. Eucalyptus is as robust as it is poly- 

 morphic and furnishes timber suitable for all purposes for which hardwoods 

 are used. It regenerates freely especially after fires though often inferior 

 species tend to become dominant. The ideal treatment of Eucalyptus- 

 forests would be clean felling and logging, followed by burning of all 

 debris then rigid fire protection until thinning becomes necessary after 

 which light burnings may be useful in keeping down grass and miscel- 

 laneous scrub growth. Less economical but more practical is the felling 

 and removal of all mature and overmature trees and efficient fire pro- 

 tection for a second crop of trees. The real problems of forestry in these 

 four states is concerned with the discovery of exotic trees that will provide 

 softwood cheaply and in sufficient quantity for their needs. As will be 

 shown later considerable progress has been made and certain species of 

 Pinus especially seem to promise complete success. Tree planting will 

 be the important task of forestry in these states and much of the land 

 now clothed with certain species of Eucalyptus of scrubby growth and 



