^Jf''"l Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. 107 



field," Canterbury : Dr. F. Hamilton Kenny, Naval Depot, 

 Williamstown ; Mr. K. E. Luher, 63 Patterson-street, Princes' 

 Hill, North Carlton ; and Mr. Otto Romcke, " Norway," 

 Woodstock-street, Canterbury, were duly elected as ordinary 

 members of the Club. 



PAPERS READ. 



1. By Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S., entitled "The Forests of 

 Victoria," Part II. 



The author gave a considerable amount of interesting and 

 instructive information bearing on the principal industries 

 connected with the forests, and by means of a large series of 

 lantern slides showed the many phases undergone by the giant 

 gum, from the first stroke of the feller's axe at its base till it 

 was converted into marketable and portable products by the 

 circular saw, broad axe, paling knife, or retort. The saw- 

 milling, splitting, and hewing industries were dealt with, and 

 the quantity and value of the timber cut in several of our 

 State forests furnished. The oil production, chemical ex- 

 traction, wood-seasoning, bark, and apiculture, &c, were in 

 turn considered, and views of each portrayed. 



The president, in complimenting Mr. Hardv on the educa- 

 tional value of his paper, asked if it were the custom of paling 

 splitters to go into a forest and sample a number of trees before 

 selecting one ? What was their mode of procedure in deter- 

 mining whether a tree was suitable for their purpose or other- 

 wise, and did the trees they tried sustain any injury ? 



Mr. J. Gabriel explained the mode adopted by splitters in 

 making a selection of a tree, and said he agreed with the 

 lecturer that a lack of firewood would be a serious matter in 

 the near future. No adequate provision was being made for 

 future generations. Replanting should be more extensively 

 carried on by the Government. 



Mr. F. Wisewould remarked that in his opinion the present 

 scarcity of firewood was induced by the public demand for two 

 classes of timber — Red Gum and Box. Much of the valuable 

 timber now being burnt in large quantities by the land- 

 owners of the State would be split and made available for 

 domestic use but for this preference. 



The president said he concurred with Mr. Gabriel respecting 

 the afforestation of denuded areas, and reminded him that 

 there was a Foresl League in existence whose main object was 

 to induce the Governmenl of the day to reafforesl extensively. 

 and thereby make provision for future needs. The League 

 could undoubtedly do more with a greater membership. 



Mr. Hardy, in reply, detailed the conditions under which 

 splitters were permitted to select growing timber [or splitting. 



