246 TIMBER 



and 200 to 350 ft. in extreme height with 100 ft. to the 

 lowest branch. The stem is very straight. The wood is 

 of a varying colour from cream to pink, very heavy, close 

 and straight in grain, and of great strength. It has heen 

 much used for piles and in wharf construction generally. 

 Large quantities of logs were imported up to 100 ft. long 

 and 18 to 20 inches square for temporary staging at the 

 Admiralty Harbour Works, Dover, a few years ago, where, 

 owing to the great depth of water into which the piles had 

 to be driven, namely, about 60 ft. at high water, the high 

 specific gravity of the blue gum was of great advantage 

 compared with Oregon timber of the same sizes, which had 

 to be weighted to enable it to sink. It also withstands the 

 attack of the teredo much better than Oregon. It was also 

 used at the Keyham Dockyard extension works, and a large 

 quantity is now being used by the North Eastern Railway 

 Company at Hull. The logs are not sawn, but are cut almost 

 die square with broad axes in the following manner : Cross 

 cuts about 2 ft. apart are first made in the felled tree, and 

 the timber between is cut off; on the logs as finished one 

 may often see traces of these cross cuts where they have 

 gone slightly below the intended depth. So straight and 

 accurately is the timber converted by this method that in 

 a log 60 or 65 ft. long there is often not half an inch 

 difference between one end and the other. The method is 

 clearly shown in our illustration (Fig. 34), for which the 

 author is indebted to the courtesy of the Agent-General for 

 Tasmania ; it also shows a large log already squared, and 

 gives a good idea of the tall straight trunks of a blue gum 

 forest. It is an excellent timber for any work requiring 

 great length and strength, and can be delivered in Great 

 Britain of a length of from 60 ft. and upwards at about the 

 same price as Oregon of similar sizes. One of the objections 

 to the timber is that it splits a good deal, being as bad in 



