.'3.34 PRO0R15DINGS OF SECTION D. 



Timber. 



On the economics of the eucalyptus oue could fill a large 

 volume. The early settlers soon found that in this collection of 

 trees they had a very valuable asset, and employed the timber 

 for very many purposes. It was used in almost every conceivable 

 direction, in house-building, bridges, warehouses, large construc- 

 tion works of all kinds, whilst data are to oe found which show 

 that it was one of the earliest exported. 



One of the first vernacular names bestowed was ' ' mahogany 

 on what is now botanically known as E. resinifera and E. robusta, 

 in allusion to its resemblance to the commercial article from Hon- 

 duras, long previously on the market. 



Since the early days, much investigation nas been undertaken 

 upon Australian eucalypts, especially in regard to tensile, com- 

 pression, and other strengths, the results being scattered through- 

 out Australian scientific literature. 



A new application of eucalyptus timbers has recently 

 developed, viz., cabinet work. Scarcity in the usual material for 

 this industry, and rise of prices, have caused tradesmen and others 

 to look in various directions to supply their wants, with the result 

 that it has been found that eucalyptus timbers are very applicable 

 in certain branches of the cabinet trade. Some of the red coloured 

 v.'oods are especially so, and amongst the pale coloured, " spotted 

 gum," E. maculata, has been tried with excellent results, whilst 

 in Tasmania, " stringybarks, " E. Delegatensis and E. obliqua are 

 being made into furniture, and exported under the name of Tas- 

 manian oak. Our stringybarks are widely diffused over the 

 eastern half of the continent, and present a big field of exploita- 

 tion in this direction. Amongst them are some excellent substi- 

 tutes for imported timbers, such as American hickory and ash, so 

 largely used in coachbuilding, tool, and axe handles. 



Some of our red-coloured timbers such as " Sydney blue gum," 

 (E. saiigna), "forest mahogany" (E. resinifera), "red boxes" 

 (E. polyanthenia, E. Rudderi), and several others, can be worked 

 up into excellent specimens of the cabinetmaker's art, as exempli- 

 fied by samples in the Technological Museum, Sydney. Even tne 

 very latest desideratum in timber — flying machines material — can 

 be supplied from gum trees, such as E. delegatensis, E. regnans, 

 &c. 



Destructive Distillation of Wood. 



Victoria has set the example iu Australia in this direction, for 

 Messrs. Cuming, Smith and Company, at Warburton, are manu- 

 facturing the following: — 



Acetic acid, acetate of lime, pyroligneous acids, formalin, 

 denaturatiug spirit, pure methyl alcohol, crude methyl alcohol. 



