TASMANIAN TIMBER 247 



this respect as American elm, although probably, if better 

 seasoned before exportation, this trouble would be overcome. 

 An excellent section of the wood cut from a log lying about 

 on works for a long time was sent to the author and split 

 in several lines from outside to heart in a short time. Mr. 

 Geo. Dudley, of Hobart, who has used it very much for 

 coachbuilding and wheelwrights' work, says that it requires 

 special care in seasoning, and in the case of felloes this 

 takes about two years. It should be ringed at the ends 

 when stored, or it splits there, sometimes very badly. In 

 this timber, as with all the eucalypti, it is necessary when 

 converting that the heart should be cut out to the extent 

 of 3 or 4 inches. This tree is evidently a similar species 

 to one of the same name in several of the Australian 

 colonies, but it grows to a much larger size in Tasmania, 

 and the official publication says it "must not be con- 

 founded with some of those similarly named growing in the 

 mainland States." 



It is a remarkably sound, clean timber; one can see logs 

 over 60 ft. long without a knot. It is largely used in the 

 colony for sleepers, railway wagon work, and wheelwrights' 

 work, and has been used to a small extent in Great Britain 

 for street paving, but has not been found so satisfactory for 

 this purpose as jarrah. In transverse and tensile strength 

 blue gum compares very favourably with jarrah and karri, 

 but can be obtained in longer lengths than either of these 

 timbers, and in this respect will command a good market. 

 The appearance of the fibres after fracture in cross bending 

 tests are very similar to karri and jarrah under the same 

 conditions. A 9 inches X 9 inches sawn blue gum log 10 ft. 

 between the supports was tested by Messrs. David Kirkaldy 

 & Son and stood an ultimate bending stress of 17'6 tons 

 with the load in the centre it failed by the top side com- 

 pressing, cracked at 3 inches deflection, but bent to 5 inches ; 



