TIMBERS OF NEW SOUTH WALES 223 



grain, polishes well, is very tough and durable, and bends 

 easily, and for this reason is largely used for coachbuilding 

 and wheelwrights' work. It is liable to twist and shrink in 

 seasoning. Spotted gum is similar to and often sold as 

 blue gum. It was at one time used for street paving in 

 Sydney, but was discarded as unsatisfactory, owing to its 

 liability to rot. 



Weight, seasoned, about 60 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Grey Box (E. hemipkloia), a tough, hard, cross-grained 

 wood of great strength, yellowish white or pale brown 

 colour, is used for the naves and cogs of wheels, large screws, 

 mauls, shaft handles, poles of drays, etc., and also for rail- 

 way sleepers, and bears a good record for durability. It 

 is sometimes called Canary or common Box. 



Brush Box (Tristania conferta) is another strong, tough, 

 durable timber obnoxious to the white ant. Pale in colour, 

 sometimes brown, it turns grey on exposure. A good deal 

 used for mallets, chisel handles, planes, etc., it is, however, 

 difficult to season, and great care has to be exercised or 

 the planks will warp and crack. Often called Red Box or 

 Bastard Box. The darker coloured varieties from the 

 Northern rivers are the best. 



True Red Box (E. polyantliema) is a timber of the jarrah 

 class, rich red in colour, close in grain, which works easily, 

 is very durable, and becomes, with age, as hard as ironbark. 

 It is used for paving, fencing, and general building work. 

 This timber lasted for fifty years in perfect preservation in 

 St. John's Church, Paramatta. It resembles the woollybutt, 

 which in strength and durability ranks next in order to 

 blackbutt and blue gum, but has the defect of twisting 

 and shrinking whilst seasoning. 



Weight, seasoned, about 72 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



