148 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERiE 



It was discovered by Warburg on the small island Pulu dekat 

 near Batjan, one of the Moluccas. 



A. regia is said to yield the commercial Dammar radja, a 

 hard resin or copal, that has long been exported from Batjan 

 (Batchian). 



Agathis robusta, Masters. 

 Queensland Kauri. 



Dammara robusta, C. Moore. Australian Kauri ; Dundalliu Pine. 



A tree 150 or more ft. high, with a long, straight, columnar 

 trunk free from branches for the greater part of its height. Bark 

 thick, brownish, resinous. Winter hiids rounded, compact, with 

 closely pressed scales. Leaves usually ovate, 4-6 in. long, 1-2 

 in. wide, dark green, striated with parallel veins, margins thickened 

 and recurved, apex long or short-pointed, rounded or blunt, 

 stalks flattened, about | in. long. Male catkins dense, cylindrical, 

 1-2 in. long. Cones ovoid or rounded, 4-5 in. long, and usually 

 less than 4 in. in diameter ; scales about 1 in. across, closely 

 overlapping, thickened at the apex. Seeds oblong, flattened, 

 about I in. long with a well developed wing on one side. 



Native of Queensland and Fraser Island. 



Wood brown or yellowish, short-grained, finishes well with 

 a fine surface. Less useful for weight -bearing purposes than the 

 New Zealand Kauri, but an excellent wood for joiners' work, 

 indoor finish of houses, etc., as it takes paint and polish well. 

 Queensland Kauri is an important timber, and the cultivation of 

 the tree should be encouraged by every possible means in its 

 native country. The timber is not plentiful enough for export. 



Resin, both fresh and in a fossil state, is obtained from the 

 tree. Specimens at Kew are of a clear, pale brown colour. 



Some interesting particulars respecting this tree are given 

 by Boyd in The Queensland Agricultural Journal, ii, pp. 67-68. 

 Steps were apparently taken in 1879 to protect both this tree 

 and the hoop pine {Araucaria Cunninghatnii), and regulations 

 were issued prohibiting the cutting of any pine tree having a less 

 diameter than 3 ft. Subsequent amended regulations authorized 

 the cutting of Kauri pine when 2 ft. in diameter and hoop pine 

 at 21 in. diameter at 5 ft. from the ground. The Queensland 

 Kauri pine is said to make little girth growth until the tree is above 

 surrounding trees and a sapling 12 in. in diameter has usually 

 completed its height growth. From this period yearly girth 

 growth is rapid, usually 5-9 in. but sometimes as much as 12| in. 

 After a diameter of 40-50 in. has been gained growth slackens 

 off. Mr. Boyd maintains that it is disastrous to cut Queensland 

 Kauri pine under 3 ft. in diameter, and gives the following table 

 showing yield at different girths: — 



