14 



Nomenclature. 



When the first edition of this work was published in 1902 it was decided to 

 subordinate the vernacular names to the scientific, as it was found that no 

 uniformity of results were obtainable if the vernacular names were relied upon 

 to any extent for systematic and industrial purposes 



hi a work with a commercial setting such as this, the idea was no doubt 

 somewhat revolutionary at that time, but after some years' experience we are 

 quite satisfied with the result of that action, in so far as it concerns the Eucalyptus 

 oil industry, and we trust that the method will be more extensivelv adopted 

 with the Eucalypts in other directions, especially the timber trades. 



The number of distinct species of Eucalypts is so large that sufficient 

 common names could only with difficulty be invented in order that each species 

 may have a distinctive appellation, and consequently we often see a conglomera- 

 tion of species with different economics under the one common name. There 

 are, for instance, several species known as 'Blue Gums," many others as 

 "Red Gums," "White Gums," "Boxes," "Peppermints," " Mallees," "Iron- 

 barks," or " Bloodwoods," so that in this direction identification with any degree 

 of success for accurate economic purposes becomes quite hopeless. Some 

 attempt has been made to overcome the difficulty by employing an adjective, 

 so that we have " White Box," ' Murray Red Gum," ' Broad-leaved Pepper- 

 mint," and so on. It is just as easy, however, to say Eucalyptus rostrata as 

 ' Murray Red Gum," or Eucalyptus dives instead of " Broad-leaved Peppermint " 

 or Eucalvptus Macarthun instead of " Paddy River Box." 



In restricted areas no doubt the common names tor Eucalyptus trees do 

 have some utility, because the number of distinct species in any one district is 

 limited, but it is when local names found useful lor discriminative purposes in 

 one district are applied to altogether different trees growing in quite another 

 locality that grave mistakes occur. 



Most of the scientific names as applied to Eucalyptus species are not 

 difficult for the commercial man to learn, and our experience has shown that 

 their employment in commerce has considerable advantages. It is now customary 

 with the larger manufacturers of Eucalyptus oils to indicate the origin of their 

 products by using the scientific names, and not the vernacular, and even the 

 small distiller in the " bush " has become familiar with the botanical name of 

 the species he is working, and employs it for purposes of trade, for the 

 reason that purchasers of oil prefer now to buy only on scientific names. In 

 this way the article produced is easy to control, because the scientific name 

 not only becomes distinctive for the tree, but means a standard for the 

 product also, the economics for any individual species being so well defined. 



It is thus evident that if the scientific name for any particular Eucalypt 

 is utilised that the economics will be such that no difficulty or misunderstanding 

 can arise either to the manufacturer or to the purchaser. 



In this second edition of the work, therefore, the scientific names for the 

 species are again emphasised, as the economic advantages to be derived by 

 following this method are so great. 



