191 



fallen catkins (male inflorescence) form the chief sustenance in winter on 

 much of the overstocked country. He adds that this tree is too sour to be 

 very useful to ewes rearing 1 lambs; but if sheep had only enough of it, the 

 " break " or tenderness of fibre would often be prevented in our fine-wool 

 districts, and much money saved by the increased value a sound staple 

 always commands. 



The foliage is eagerly browsed upon by stock, and in cases of drought 

 these trees are pollarded for the cattle. Old bullock-drivers say that cattle 

 prefer the foliage of the female plant. (J. E. Brown.) Casuarina foliage 

 has a pleasant acidulous taste, but it contains a very large proportion of 

 ligneous matter. 



I'sed for stock feeding in dry time and considered fair feed. ( Dist. Forester 

 Marriott.) 



When these trees are lopped for stock feed, the following year they send 

 out a profusion of young foliage, and are very pretty in appearance. (Forest 

 Hunger Taylor, AVugga Wagga.) 



For those who desire further particulars in regard to this, the most 

 valuable fodder tree of all the She-Oaks, see Mr. Feld's experience as 

 related in Part 60 of my " Forest Flora of New South Wales." 



Fruits. This species yields the largest fruits of any Casuarina in New 

 South Wales. Mr. Cambage has measured them 2& inches long. I have 

 received cones from South Australia" (Mr. Walter Gill) 2 inches long and 

 up to 12 inches broad. 



Timber. The wood is hard, rather pale when fresh, andi with prominent 

 red medullary rays. It dries to a reddish coloiir, and has dark bands running 

 through it, chiefly in a longitudinal direction, which gives to the polished 

 wood a fine mottled appearance, rendering it very suitable for the manu- 

 facture of furniture. It is also used in turnery, and for such articles as 

 bullock-yokes, wheel-spokes, axe-handles, staves, shingles, &c. As fuel, it 

 can hardly be excelled (Mueller and ,T. E. Brown). The appearance of this 

 handsome wood is very difficult to describe, its heart-wood is darker and 

 less handsome than the other portions. It works up splendidly. It is, 

 however, too small to be used for large articles of furniture. In western 

 New South Wales it is not used except for fuel. 



Size. It is a small tree, say, of 20 or 30 feet, and diameter up to 18 

 inches. 



Habitat. It occurs in every State of the Commonwealth except Queens- 

 land, and oven in that State I should not be surprised to hear of it being 

 found. 



It is one of the Casuarinas found both on the coast and in the interior, 

 and therefore it is probable that a certain percentage of salt in the soil is 

 necessary for its healthy existence. 



New South Wales. Of coastal localities we have Twofold Bay (already 

 quoted), Jervis Bay ( J.H.M.) ; tops of hills between Otford and Stanwell 

 Park (E. Betche and J.H.M.) ; and Newport (K, H. Cambage). The two 

 last localities are very instructive. When Mr. Cambage found this at 

 Xc\vport he remarked to me, "This is on the Narrabeen shale,* and I in- 

 tend to go to Otford to see if the species is found where the same formation 



* The Narrabeen shale outcrops around Narrabeen and thence to near Kin- 

 cumber. Broken Bay district. In the south it occurs at Otford. It does not 

 extend, on the surface, far inland. 



