Exiiihitions, Session 1886-87. 135 



largest of the K'ew Zealand trees. It is confined to the northern 

 portion of the North Island, and grows on all soils up to the 

 height of 1500 feet, but is said to prefer the dry and sterile clays 

 of the hilly districts. It reaches a height varying from 100 to 

 140 feet — some few growing as high as 170 feet or rather more. 

 The tree is usually bare of branches for about .50 feet from the 

 ground. A trunk has been occasionally but rarely seen as much 

 as 35 feet in circumference. Laslett saw two exceptionally large 

 trees — one at Wangaroa (a little to the northward of the Bay of 

 Islands), that measured 48 feet in circumference at 3 feet from 

 the ground, and another near Mercury Bay, which was 72 feet in 

 circumference and 80 feet to the branches. As the tree, which is 

 of slow growth, does not add more than an inch to its diameter in 

 six or seven years, Mr Laslett computed the ages of these two 

 giants to be respectively about 1300 and 2000 years. 



The so-called Kauri gum — really a resin — exudes spontaneously 

 from every part of the tree, and hardens upon, the surface by ex- 

 ])03ure to the air, immense masses of the resin being often seen on 

 old trees, suspended from the stem at the forked part of the 

 branches. It is believed that the bark, branches, stumps, roots, 

 and even the leaves of the Kauri pine would yield a large amount 

 of resin under proper management. When an incision is made in 

 the bark of the Kauri tree the resin exudes freely, so that here, in 

 the course of a few weeks, a large mass of half-dried resin, will have 

 accumulated. This new gum takes about three months to harden 

 properly. 



All except a very small portion of the Kauri resin so largely 

 exported from New Zealand is, however, dug out of the ground in 

 a fossil or semi-fossil state, but there is not much of it found more 

 than 10 inches below the surface; that is, it occurs in the present 

 soil. Occasionally it is found at a depth of 3 feet, and it is fished 

 up in bogs or swamps, as well as dug out of dry ground. The 

 resin is found either in small detached lumps, or in considerable 

 quantities deposited in one hole. When dug up its surface is 

 found to be partially decayed, and this portion requires to be 

 scraped off. It is curious that where the buried gum is obtained 

 there are now no remains of Kauri trees except the resin itself. 

 Nevertheless, it is believed that forests of this pine must have 

 formerly grown over the areas where it is found. 



The only tools used in procuring the resin are a spear and a 

 spade. The spear is a pointed steel rod, with which the digger 

 pierces the ground, and by this means, after he becomes sufficiently 

 expert, he can tell whether he is touching a stone or a piece of 

 resin. 



