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Amongst Australian woods, the mountain ash (Eucalyptus 

 sieberiana) of Gippsland and New South Wales, from the 

 mountains of South-Eastern Australia, supplies an excellent wood 

 for fermenting vats or for large casks. It splits freely and 

 smoothly, and is easy to work. For small casks, with thin staves, 

 th s timber does not do so well, being rather soft and porous. This 

 timber has for a long time been used by Mr. P. E. Fallon, of Albury 

 Vineyard, in his cellar, as well as for casks sent to his bottling 

 works in Sydney. 



For vats, either for fermenting or when headed up, for storing- 

 wine, the two leading West Australian timbers, karri (E. diversi- 

 color) and jarrah (E. marginata), are much used in South Aus- 

 tralia as well as in Western Australia. Of the two, karri is more 

 elastic. Their worst features are their tendency to warp, and their 

 heavy density. It is said that if felled towards the end of summer, 

 jarrah will be less given to warp. The first grows in the fertile 

 and humid valleys in the neighbourhood of Cape Leeuwin, the 

 second on the ironstone ranges of the coastal region of the State. 



Amongst other timbers which have been used in Australia for 

 coopering work are : The silver wattle of South-East Australia 

 and Tasmania (Acacia dealbata), well spoken of by Mr. J. D. 

 Lankester, of Ettamogah, Albury. The silky oak (Grevillea 

 robusta), which gives an elastic and durable wood, valued 

 particularly for staves of casks. Mr. Th. Hardy, of South 

 Australia, reports having placed shavings of this wood in light 

 wines for several months without affecting their taste or colour in 

 any way. 



The white beech (Gmelina Leickhardtii) of East Australia, 

 which supplies a wood of shining paleness, not liable to rend. Mr. 

 John Wyndham, of Dalwood, Hunter River, spoke well of this 

 wood, which shrinks but little. Mr. E. Wyndham, of Buckalla, 

 Inverell, considers it suitable for large storing casks, but its soft- 

 ness unfits it for the smaller casks in which wine is sent to 

 market. 



Theblackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon) of South-East Australia, 

 is also used for casks, but requires previous seasoning and long 

 soaking. The wood bends readily under steam, and does not warp 

 and twist. 



The Tasmanian myrtle : a close-grained timber, taking a good 

 surface. This timber has been used for shipping wine by some of 

 the large Rutherglen vinegrowers, who say that it does not impart 

 any foreign flavour to the wine. 



The kauri pine (Dammara Australis) of the North Island of 

 New Zealand, supplies an excellent straight-grained timber, 

 excellent for vats, and sometimes used for heads of strong casks, 

 but requires thorough seasoning to extract the resinous extracts, 

 which give a mawkish taste to the wine stored in them. 



