6 REPORT S.A.A. ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



stock they now have to carry. There are immense areas of Jarrah and 

 Kari timber in Western Australia, in nearly pure forest, near the 

 coast, so that access is easy and supplies assured. Kari timber is more 

 suitable for use above ground than in the ground, but Jarrah has a 

 well-established reputation for lasting in the ground; and there is, I 

 think, no doubt that few better sleepers can be obtained than the 

 Jarrah sleepers of Western Australia,. East Australia is naturally 

 fitted to produce equal or rather better sleepers. The Iron-bark 

 timbers of Eastern Australia are harder and even more 

 durable than Jarrah, and there are some half dozen other 

 Eucalypt timbers equal to Jarrah in durability. But East Australia is 

 comparatively an old settled country. It is 100 years since the 

 British Colonists set to work destroying the forests; and to-day, East 

 Australia cannot supply Iron-bark sleepers under 6s. or 6s. 6d. landed 

 here. The unique Cedar-wood of East Australia, Cedrela toona, is also 

 mostly destroyed; and so great and so utterly reckless has been the 

 destruction of forest in East Australia that even the luxuriant Black- 

 wattle has now become scarce. Not many months ago an enquiry 

 actually came from Australia, to the Natal Black-wattle plantations, 

 asking at what price bark could be shipped to Australia ! The Black- 

 wattle tree came not very long ago from Australia to South Africa, 

 and the Natal plantations are entirely the work of the last few years. 

 However, to' return to our sleepers. The Cape Government Railways 

 lately decided to lay down special sleeper plantations, for which 

 purpose sites have been chosen near existing lines of railway, so as 

 to avoid the heavy cost of transport to the railway. The financial 

 position of these railway plantations is very striking. It is estimated 

 that they will cost ^60,000 or ^70,000, and in 20 or 25 years will 

 bring in a perpetual revenue of 100,000 per annum. This is 

 calculated on the basis of the present mileage of Cape Railways and 

 the prices paid for sleepers. The species of Eucalypts that I have 

 selected for sleeper plantations are the following : 



EUCALYPTS FOR SLEEPER PLANTATIONS. 



(i) E. paniculata ; an Ironbark. 

 (2} E. pilularis ; Flintwood. 



(3) E. microcorys; Tallow-wood. 



(4) E. resinifera; a Jarrah-like timber. 



(5) E. saligna; Quick-growing good timber. 

 (E. marginata; Jarrah, low yield.) 



These timbers are equal or superior to Jarrah, and they are 

 more fast growing. 



SOFT-WOOD FOR SLEEPERS AND HOUSE BUILDING. 



In spite of the fact that Soft-wood sleepers require the extra cost 

 of a bearing plate and of creosoting, they are now being produced 

 largely, especially in plantations where the poor nature of the soil is 

 unadapted to the rapid growth of Eucalypts. The species which 



