TIMBERS, 453 
Twelve years: Teak, British Oak, Mora, Greenheart, Iron- 
bark*, Saul; ten years: Bay Mahogany, Cedar (funtperus Vir- 
giniana); nine years: European Continental Oak, Chestnut, Blue 
Gumf, Stringybark (Zucalyptus gigantea)t; down to four years, 
which is the length of time assessed to Hemlock Pine (North 
America). 
In Tasmania, this timber is usually procured by hand- 
sawyers, who cut up the trees where they fall in the forest. It 
makes the very best planking for ships’ bottoms. It has the 
property of swelling under water to such an extent that it becomes 
a matter of some difficulty to find the seams when the vessels are 
put upon the slips for coppering. But much judgment is required 
in selecting the timber. All pieces that contain heart-wood or 
sap-wood must be rejected. These are both worthless, and soon 
decay. The true serviceable blue gum must come from the 
circumference of the tree about midway between the bark and the 
centre. (TLenison-Woods.) 
In 1865 there was taken out of the old Hobart Courthouse 
a beam of this wood which had remained there for 45 years. It 
was as sound as when fresh felled. Planks from Tasmania, 
between 80 and goft. in length, were shown at the London 
International Exhibition of 1862. 
A sample of this timber, sent from Victoria to the Colonial 
and Indian Exhibition, was tested by Mr, Allen Ransome. He 
reported: ‘“‘By way of testing the sample sent a sleeper was 
adzed and bored, and a panel planed. Both experiments proved 
very satisfactory, the latter especially so, as the wood was found to 
plane as well against the grain as with it.” 
The following account of this timber by an English expert 
(Laslett) will be of interest: “ Hucalyptus globulus is a tree of 
straight growth, and attains a height of 200 to 300ft., with a 
diameter of from 6 to 25ft. Like the Jarrah (Z. margzuafa), it is 
characteristic of the larger trees, that while they appear to be 
healthy and vigorous, and continue to increase in height and 
bulk, the centre wastes away near the root, and, when felled, 
they are often found hollow for some considerable distance up 
* EB. siderophloia, Benth. + E. globulus, Labill. + E. obliqua, L’Hér. 
