i68 



Timbers of the Colony. 



By J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., Superintendent of Technical Education, &c. 



The Geographical Conditions of the Colony as regards the availahleness 

 of her Timber Suj^ply. 



Without entering into tlie mucli-debated question as to tlie extent 

 of tlie relation of cause and effect between forests and rainfall, we 

 may state that, rougUy speaking, tlie rainfall of New South Wales 

 gradually diminishes from the coast-line to her western boundary, 

 while the altitude and denseness of the forest vegetation diminishes 

 in a similar direction. The general forest conditions of the rich-soil 

 gullies of the intervening mountains and elevated table-lands a good 

 deal resemble those of the coast belt. 



What is known as the Dividing Eange forms a huge vertebral 

 column, whose general direction is north and south, extending through 

 nearly the whole length of the Colony. This range is roughly parallel 

 to the coast, and at no great distance from it. As far as the com- 

 mercial timbers of the Colony are concerned, it separates the territory 

 into two divisions, — the first comprising the eastern slopes and the 

 comparatively flat country thence to the sea, which yields the great 

 bulk of our readily available forest wealth, while the country to the 

 west produces timber available only for utilisation in the districts in 

 which it is grown, partly because of its inferiority of size and value 

 (with a few notable exceptions), and partly because of the cost of 

 land-carriage to the coast. In considering the availahleness of the 

 western timbers, it must be borne in mind that none of our rivers, 

 flowing east and west, are of any great length, because of the proximity 

 to the sea of the Dividing Range already alluded to, and therefore 

 the advantages of cheap water-carriage between the inland forest 

 regions and the coast are not available. 



Bru^h and open Forest. 



The timber-trees of New South Wales are found, for the most part, 

 in either what are called brushes or open forests. The brush perhaps 

 corresponds to what in India would be called jungle, and consists- 

 of well-watered, rich-soil areas in the coast districts, which not only 

 support rich arboreal vegetation, but also creepers and climbers of 

 various kinds, and shrubby undergrowth. The tree-vegetation is of a 



