54 Hardy, Tall Trees of Australia. [v^xxxv. 



sempervirens is certainly the taller of the two. . . The 

 greatest size of the Big Trees is 300 to 330 feet in height, and 

 a diameter (10 feet above the base) of 30 to 37 feet. Excep- 

 tionally large specimens of the Redwood are 325 to 350 feet 

 high and 18 to 20 feet in diameter 10 feet above the base. 

 Ordinarily the Big Tree does not exceed a height of 250 to 

 280 feet and a diameter above the swollen base of 12 to 17 feet. 

 The usual size attained by the Redwood is 8 to 12 feet in 

 diameter and 190 to 280 feet in height." 



Sequoia sempervirens and Eucalyptus regnans have some 

 points in common, however, and a few may be stated. 



They are the tallest trees in their respective countries. They 

 are valuable timber trees — each, perhaps, the most useful 

 its country produces. They are both evergreens, the old leaves 

 remaining more than one season. The greater part of the seed 

 is infertile. The seed is exceptionally small for such large 

 trees — in E. regnans less than that of a gooseberry. They both 

 rejoice in climatic conditions wherein the temperature 

 rarely falls below 15 F. (30 for Eucalyptus), or rises above 

 ioo° F. (90 F. for this Eucalypt), with a rainfall of 20-60 

 inches. Their woods are fissile. 



Having stated their points of agreement, a few differences 

 may be mentioned. The Redwood is immune from fungoid 

 and insect pests. E. regnans is subject to longicorn and other 

 borers, termites ("ants"), and fungoid disease such as 

 the bracket-like Xylostroma, witli mycelium like a sheet of 

 chamois leather conforming concentrically to the heartwood 

 rings. The wood of Redwood is non-porous, and easily seasoned ; 

 that of E. regnans has large pores visible to the naked eye, and 

 requires careful seasoning and filling before final dressing. 

 Redwood is a soft, brownish-red colour, and light ; /:. regnans 

 is a pale straw colour, hard as oak almost, and com- 

 paratively heavy. The former resists decay in contact with 

 the ground ; the latter has not such endurance. Redwood is 

 a conifer ; E. regnans is of the " Myrtle blooms," to use 

 Lindley's old term. The former has rough, persistent bark, 

 and the latter decorticates annually, leaving the greater part 

 of the trunk smooth ; and finally — not to make too long a tale— 

 this point of difference, important in forestry : Sequoia semper- 

 virens suckers freely, while Eucalyptus regnans reproduces by 

 seed only, so far as I am aware. 



Both Sequoia gigantca and sempervirens arc cultivated as 

 ornamental trees in parks and gardens of south-east Australia, 

 especially in the belt between the summit of the Dividing Range 

 and the sea, in Victoria. At Ballarat the Big Tree is doing well, 

 many trees being planted in the park near Lake Wehdouree ; 

 and fine young specimens about ion feet high are on Mount 



