153 



forest mid chopped into lengths, if allowed to remain, all the wood disappears,. 

 leaving the hark as a ''hoop" or natural pipe, reminding one of a pipe for 

 water stippl.v. Hence the name " Hoop Pine" often given to this tree. 



Timbi !-.-- This is so well known to the people in the coastal districts of 

 the State that it would almost seem unnecessary to describe its appearance. 

 It is our principal cheap softwood, taking the place of the Deal of Kurope 

 for packing-cases and other rough purposes. It is strong and durable when 

 dry, and |a>l> well for such purposes as punt-bottoms when kept constantly 

 wet. hut it will not stand being kept alternately wet and dry. It is exten- 

 sively used for flooring and lining hoards, and for the various purposes to 

 \\hich softwoods arc usually put. It is apt to get of a dirty colour with ay.e. 



Most planks of Colonial Pine show more or less of what may he compared 

 to a bird's-eye maple figure; in fact, the presence of these mark in us is a. 

 ready diagnostic test of the timber, as a rule. In selected planks they 

 very numerous, and bring this wood into the category of ornamental 

 timbers. Selected Colonial Pine of this character looks re::!ly well when 

 made np into bedroom furniture, linen presses. iVe. A piece of Colonial 

 Pine was thus described in the report of the London International Exhi- 

 bition of ISlii': "A noble specimen, which is remarkable for the peculiar 

 figure set up, by a series of remote, small, pea-shaped, pale, clouded knots, 

 arranged in quincunx order, somewhat like drops of rain in general effect, 

 and not easily described." 



It di>c> to be generally known how excellent a material for 



carving this wood is. It is, of course, somewhat brittle, hut when seasoned 

 this is reduced to a minimum. I had in my keeping a large carved bracket 

 of Aeantlms loaves in Colonial Pine, and it showed no trace of warping. 



Colonial Pine used at one time to be in great request for spars for ships* 

 as it was readily obtainable in lengths from 80 to 100 feet, but it is rather 

 brittle for this purpose. 



I'm:' for Butter-boxes. I wrote, many years ago: 



There is one use. and an increasingly important one, to which Colonial Pine- 

 may bo put. and I ask our Itichinond and Clarence Iliver millers to take it to 

 heart. I allude to butter-boxes. An enormous quantity is required every 

 year for Xew South Wales butter, and yet this colony, with all its pine forests. 

 fails to supply limber to case its own butter. I believe the wood to be a 

 suitable one for the purpose, but some of our northern saw-millers hardly 

 realise ;hat they are allowing a good trade to slip away. Colonial Pine is 

 very light when well seasoned, and it may bo cheaply coated with a thin 

 layer of pa ratlin, if necessary. 



In Auiiii-t, r.)0r>, the Mini.-ter for Agriculture, of Queensland, received a 

 report from Mr. Thomson. ( Joverniuent Dairy Expert, on the allegations- 

 made in the Southern State- that Queensland Pine (the same as our Rich- 

 mond River or Hoop Pine), when used as boxes tainted the butter. The 

 report contains the following conclusions: 1. The charges against Queens- 

 land Pine for butter-boxes have been disproved by practical and scientific 

 examination, and the results show that the Pine is admirably adapted for 

 the export butter trade. 2. The practical tests carried out at the Queensland 

 3-1 eat Export Works, Pinkenba, were of great severity, and any weakness in 

 the Pine would have been conveyed to the butter before the expiry of the 

 investigation. 3. A searching examination of the export butter, conducted 

 by the grading inspectors of the Department of Agriculture, has not revealed 

 the slightest suspicion that the wood contains injurious properties. 4. The 

 best results in the experiments were obtained from wood treated with 

 paraffin wax and single parchment. 



