38 



Vernacular Name. " Woolly Butt " : The bark is of a dirty grey, brittle, 

 fibrous character, and was thought to be of woolly texture. It often 

 resembles box bark a good deal. 



The name " Woolly Butt " is, of course, descriptive of the bark, but it is 

 not a perfectly happy one. I have f requently seen trees with barks not more 

 woolly than that of the " Blackbutt." It has this advantage, however, that 

 the term " Woolly Butt " is, so far as I know, never applied to any other 

 gum-tree, although there is another native tree growing in the northern 

 part of this State, to which I have also heard the name applied. I allude 

 to the " Brush " or " Scrub Box " (Tristania conferta). 



This tree often goes by the names of " Peppermint ' ' and " Redwood " in 

 the South Coast district, the latter name being used for obvious reasons, and 

 the former because the bark resembles that of another Eucaylptus tree, 

 known as "Peppermint," both in texture and being persistent to the 

 ultimate branches. 



The use of 'these names on the South Coast is not a little puzzling. 

 " Woolly Butt " is the common name in the Sydney district, but " Pepper- 

 mint " or " Redwood " is in most general use from, say, Shoalhaven. to 

 Moruya, while "Woolly Butt" is most commonly in use from Moruya to 

 Victoria. At the same time, I have heard the 'three names used indiscrimi- 

 nately over a large area of the South Coast. It affords an excellent prac- 

 tical reason why botanical names should be used for timber trees wherever 

 possible. Confusion in names of timbers leads to trade disputes and uncer- 

 tainties and accusations of bad faith in many ways. 



Fruit. This species can readily be determined from its fruit, which are 

 usually in threes. They are the largest fruits of any of the'Eastern Austra- 

 lian species, and the shape is characteristic. Their size, and the sculpture 

 of the rim, vary somewhat. 



Bark. The bark is persistent or partially deciduous, and has a greyish 

 appearance; the young trees being very much like the box-tree (E, 

 hemiphloia or Bosistoana}. 



Timber. Dark red, of a wavy grain, rather heavy, and not unlike red 

 ironbark in general appearance, for which more valuable timber it is sonic- 

 times substituted. It is a very durable timber, but deficient in strength and 

 elasticity, particularly near the heart. Many of the trees are also faulty, 

 and hence it is not a favourite with saw-millers. 



I look upon it as a really valuable timber for wood-paving. It is not our 

 best timber for the purpose, but it is of proved value under very trying- 

 circumstances as regards exposure. Like red mahogany and others of our 

 timbers, it belongs 'to the jarrah class. Although it has been passed off MS 

 ironbark sleepers and even girders, it is an inferior timber to ironbark OH 

 account of its comparative brittleness, a defect which would not in any way 

 affect its usefulness for wood-blocking. 



It is used principally for fencing-posts, for which purpose it is well 

 adapted. I have known posts that were thirty years in wet marshy land 

 which, when taken out, were quite fresh looking, showing no sign of decay. 

 It is a splendidly durable timber for wet ground. 



In 1892 Mr. C. J. Cullen wrote to met 



There is a fence on my brother's land at Jamberoo that was erected in 

 1851, arid is consequently over fifty years in existence post and rails of 

 woollybutt, and a portion of it still in a good state of preservation, likely to 



