THE EUCALYPTS OF GIPPSLAND. Ill 



undulating hills and higher flats of a few very large E. melliodora, with scattered trees 

 of E. polyanthema and E. macrorhyncha. At the present time the two latter have 

 taken possession, almost to the exclusion of E. melliodora. In other places E. poly- 

 anthema or E. macrorhyncha predominate ; but, on the whole, I think the latter will 

 ultimately triumph over its rivals, iinless the hand of man again intervenes. 



Such observations may also be made in Western and Southern Gippsland, but, 

 of course, with reference to different species of Eucalypts. 



In the great forest of South Gippsland many places can be seen where there are 

 substantially only two existing generations of trees ; one of a few very large old trees, 

 the other of very numerous trees which are, prol)ably, not older than 30 to 40 years, 

 and, in most cases, certainly not half that period. The older trees of this second 

 growth do not, I suspect, date further l)ack than the memorable "Black Thursday," 

 when tremendous fires raged over this tract of country. It may also 1)6 inferred, from 

 the constant discoveries diiring the process of clearing of blackfellows' stone 

 tomahawks, that much of this country, now covered by a dense scrub of gum 

 saplings, Pomaderis apetala, Aster argophylla, and other arborescent shrubs, that the 

 country was at that time mainly an open forest. 



I might go on giving many more instances of this growth of the Eucalyptus 

 forests within the last quarter of a century, but those I have given will serve to show 

 how widespread this re-foresting of the country has been since the time when the white 

 man appeared in Gippsland, and dispossessed the aboriginal occupiers, to whom we owe 

 more than is generally surmised for having unintentionally prepared it, by their 

 annual burnings, for our occupation. 



The age of the new forests does not, however, depend merely on the general 

 observation that they have sprung up since the settlement of the country in 1840. 



I have been enabled to make some direct observations, which show the size of 

 certain trees of known age, and which will serve as comparison for the general growth 

 of the forests. 



In 1864 the discovery of auriferous quartz reefs in the Crooked Eiver district, 

 caused a township, which is now called Grant, to be formed on the sunnnit of the 

 mountains, near the sources of Good Luck Creek. In part of the Government reserve, 

 upon which the warden's quarters and police camp stood, and which was cleared of 

 timber, a few young E. amygdalina trees grew, and were permitted to remain. One 

 of these was lately kindly measured for me by Mr. W. H. Morgan, M.M.B., who 

 found it to be 56ft. high and 10ft. in girth 3ft. above the ground. This tree is an 

 example of very many others of the same species now growing on the surrounding 

 ranges. At Omeo, in the Government reserve, a number of young E. viminalis are 



