SI 



bridges and for ballast lot,'*, and for ground work generally, is in my opinion, 

 not to bo surpassed, as il is as lastirg. and noi so combustible, or sub.icc.-t to 

 tlu- white ant. as ironbark. For fuel in furnaces it generates more heat than 

 any wood L know. 



Mr. District Forester Ro'tton, of Nowra. reports: 



As it seasons it. reduces in weight, probably more than the wood of any other 

 tree of the Kucalypt family. Though soft when green it is not an easy timber 

 io work, and does not present a neat finish owing to the numerous running 

 rings and gum-vessels it contains. It is not an uncommon occurrence for a 

 piece of this wood of the length of a railway sleeper when squared to open 

 out from end to end as soon as the gum in the ring dries up. It is this defect 

 that renders the wood useless for railway sleepers. The rings develop as the 

 tree grows older. Bloodwood of young growth may be nsed as rafters and 

 corner-posts of rough buildings, and will last for ninny years. 



Again, there is the Bloodwood of this district, in my opinion equal to Iron- 

 bark for railway sleepers. I have asked the Commissioners to give it a trial 

 alongside Ironbark. and see which had longest life. They refuse, but do not 

 say why. I have had it in the ground over twenty years, and still good Iron- 

 bark is getting scarce, and the Pdoodwood of this district is a good substitute. 

 I have taken great interest in the timbers of this and the Clarence district for 

 the last twenty-five years, so am not writing about, what I do not understand. 



There is no doubt our timber should be a better asset for New South Wales 

 than it is. The waste at the present time is enormous. (W. T. I'ullen, AVool- 

 goolga.) 



Exudations. The kino or red "gum," which exudes from this tree, has 

 already been briefly referred to. When freshly exuded it has a distinct 

 sinell, which appears to be characteristic, and is soon recognised. It is 

 something of a vinous odour. Much of the kino exuded becomes entangled 

 in/ the scaly porous bark, but one frequently comes across quite a store of 

 the substance through tapping the communication with the reservoir which 

 has collected behind the bark, or between the concentric circles of the wood. 

 The passage gets choked up with indurated kino, but picking off the 

 substance often causes the stream to flow afresh. 



* 



It is the most brilliant in appearance of all the kinos. It is exceedingly 

 friable, and it is highly astringent. The blacks used to chiefly employ this 

 kino for tanning the skins of animals. Their modus operandi was to 

 skin the animal, put in the " gum " and some water, tie up, and shake the 

 skin "bottle" until the tanning was complete. Fishermen frequently use 

 the bark (with its entangled kino) for tanning their nets. 



Size. Usually a tree of medium size, i.e., with a height of say GO feet and 

 a stem diameter of 2 feet or 2 feet G inches. Speaking of the cast slopes of 

 'Now England, Mr. A. R. Crawford writes to me: "I saw a Eucalyptus 

 c.orymbosa of 4 feet in diameter, height (approx.), of 80 feet to first limb. 

 Another of 4 feet, and height 70 feet." 



Distribution. It extends all along the coast from the Bega district north- 

 wards to Queensland. It is also found on the coast ranges, where it attains 

 n greater magnitude than in the coast country. It is only found on the ' 

 eastern slopes of the high tablelands. It is very widely diffused in Queens- 

 land, extending to the northernmost part of that State, and is abundant 

 withal. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 4. r ,. 



A. Twig, bearing flowers. 



B. Fruits, urn or urceolate in shape. Not quite ripe, but well 



showing the constricted shape. (\ and B from Sydney 

 district. ) 



