18 



And did we judge of time aright, 

 The past and future in their flight 

 Would be as one. 



<l Let no one fondly dream again 

 That hope and all her shadow-train 



Will not decay ; 



Fleeting as were the dreams of old, 

 Bemembered like a tale that's told, 

 They pass away." 



LONGFELLOW (from " Manrique"). 



We have, therefore, to await with patience these measured 

 terms before the child in its youthful impetuosity can reach 

 the age of its highest hopes and supposed glory but, alas ! 

 leaving often a far happier phase behind; or before a tree, 

 from its youthful grace, can have advanced to sturdy strength 

 or lofty height, to fulfil also its destiny and offer us its gifts. 

 We cannot call forth age at pleasure ; at best there is involved 

 a lapse of years before a timber tree can yield a plank, a 

 beam, or even as much as a solid post. 



I have endeavoured to arrive at some idea of the real age 

 of the larger trees, which are sinking daily under our axes, 

 often sacrificed unnecessarily. On this occasion, as an apt 

 one, I may then explain, that a period of a quarter or even 

 half a century must elapse before a solid plank, hardened by 

 age, can be obtained from even a rapid-growing eucalyptus 

 tree. It is estimated to require 20 to 25 years before even a 

 sleeper of blue-gum wood can be obtained from a tree planted 

 in ordinary soil; and that double the time will elapse before 

 a sown tree of the still more durable red-gum eucalyptus will 

 furnish sleepers, such as hitherto have been in use for our 

 railway works. But a supply of fuel from these trees may be 

 obtained much earlier. Mr. Adam Anderson, a timber mer- 

 chant of this city, concurs in this estimate. 



Yet for forest operations we enjoy here advantages of two- 

 fold kind, for which in Middle Europe we are justly envied. 

 We can disseminate quickly-growing eucalyptus trees in the 

 most arid districts ; we can add to them, as a first shelter, 

 many of the native casuarinas and acacias, and thus gain 

 cover for less hardy trees of other countries. On the other 

 hand, we find in the moist and rich valleys of our ranges a 

 vast extent of space, where, under the mild influence of the 

 clime, sub-tropic trees could be reared million-fold; where, for 

 instance, whole forests of the red cedar might be originated. 

 Besides, we do not stand at any disadvantage if we want to 

 raise a belt of sea-coast pines all along the shores, or if we 



