Dec, 



it...] 



I Tardy, The Forests of Victoria. 



119 



and private, official and irresponsible — the people fail to grasp 

 the fact that the inestimable wealth of the forests is as well 

 worth guarding as gold in a strong box, and allow one of the 

 finest State assets to be dissipated. A few officials, however 

 enthusiastic and however well trained and commanded, are of 

 comparatively little avail against the opposing forces unless 

 well backed by a far-seeing and sympathetic public. 



The great sources of the world's timber supply are ranked as 

 follows : — Northern Europe and Asia (chiefly the great Russian 

 and Siberian areas). United States, and Canada. Russia's 

 supply is far from exhausted, but is chiefly softwoods. The 

 United States appears to be cutting in excess of the annual 

 increments, while Canada, profiting by the experience of other 

 countries, is conserving her forest wealth, especially in British 

 Columbia ; but as much as ten times the amount of the annual 

 increase has been consumed by fire in America in one year, 

 and such wastage must be kept steadily in view as a foe to be 

 provided against and baffled by constant vigilance in Victoria. 



APPENDIX. 

 Victorian Species ok Eucalyptus, with Principal Uses. 

 Symbols : — T = timber ; W = firewood ; O = oil ; H = honey ■ 

 F — fencing ; S = shade or shelter ; C'h. = chemicals ; C = 

 climatic and scenic ; P = protection of lowland streams by root- 

 binding of soil. 



