EUCAL YPTUS. 149 



TIMBER. 



The genus of myrtles called Eucalyptus has for a long 

 time furnished Australasia with timber for all useful pur- 

 poses both on land and sea. Houses, ships, wagons, piles, 

 railroad ties, bridges, fences, paving blocks, etc., have been 

 and are made from timber of species of this genus. While 

 all the species are hardwoods they differ greatly in dura- 

 bility, strength and facility of working, so also in various 

 uses some are good for fuel, others will scarcely burn, some 

 split with remarkable ease and others will not split at all. 

 Great differences exist even in the same species in points 

 of value. These differences are largely due to the soil or 

 climate in which the wood grew. The extraordinary varia- 

 tions in the tables of strength of Eucalyptus timber, as 

 between Warren, Maiden and Lastlett, for instance, and in 

 the various reports on durability in water or under ground 

 may be in part attributed to the locality from which the 

 timber was taken, the season of cutting, the method of 

 curing or the age of the tree. We may also assume that 

 a careful and reliable checking of the species has not al- 

 ways been attended to by those furnishing the timber for 

 testing. 



Extended examinations of the Australian timbers have 

 been made by Prof. J. H. Maiden. J. G. Leuhmann, Jas. 

 Mitchell, Thos. Laslett, Baron Von Mueller, W. H. War- 

 ren and others. The following notes are taken from these 

 works. 



The principal drawbacks to this timber are its tendency 

 to check or open fissures and shakes ail its hardness and 



