XIV PROCEEDINGS, JULY. 
Mr. R. M. JounsTON said he had been giving attention of late to the 
question of the importation of soft woods into this colony. Soft wood 
was so easily workable for some purposes, that no matter how excellent 
our own woods were, and we had some, particularly stringy bark, 
which was very good—yet some soft woods, such as the kauri pine of 
New Zealand and Baltic timber, were imported here to a large extent. 
It had occurred to him that there was a very large amount of waste lands 
in our upper plateaux that if experimented on would be found suitable 
for the growth of such timbers as we now obtained from Europe. These 
lands would be of no use for any other purpose. He would like to 
hear the opinions of Baron Von Miieller and Mr. Abbott as regarded 
the proper species likely to succeed in these upland situations, and 
moved that both be communicated with on the subject. It occurred 
to him that such a planting would ia the course of 15, 20, or 30 years be 
of great advantage to the colony, (Hear, hear.) 
Hon. N. J. Brown, M.H.A., supported the motion, and said he 
would especially hke the matter referred to Mr. Abbott, because from 
time to time trees were supplied for planting in various country places, 
and he noticed that the Pinus insignis was largely used for this pur- 
pose. But Pinus insignis was utterly useless as a timber tree, and if 
Baltic and other useful timber could be grown here it would be far 
better for Mr. Abbott to have a supp!y for distribution. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. E. D. SwAn questiored whether the expense of planting the trees 
and carting the timber would not be against their introduction, and 
whether the cost would not be more than that of getting the timber 
from its native country. 
Mr. A. O. GREEN said the question attracted a good deal of attention 
40 or 50 years ago in England, where there were large tracts of healthy 
land with a hard pan underneath. This land was useless, but it was 
found to be reclaimable hy the planting of fir trees, which ian 30 years 
became remunerative. In 15 years they were thinned out and the 
spars sold. The timber we got here was cut from trees not more than 
lft. in diameter. Trees would grow to that extent in this climate 
within 15 or 20 years, and would probably be planted by many people 
round their homesteads and become very remunerative. The timber 
obtainable here was very good, but the soft timber, if good, was expen- 
sive, and the want of good soft timber was felt by every builder in the 
colony. Timber native to this colony would not, with tew exceptions— 
keep its form when planed. This was a disadvantage against our hard- 
woods. Something might be done here as was done with the waste 
lands in Denmark, where very large wastes had been brought under 
enltivation for the growth of fir trees, and this had also been done in 
England. Waste lands that would not keep a sheep, scarcely a kan- 
garoo, might be utilised for these purposes. (Applause.) 
Sir LAMBERT Dopson said we had one very good soft wood in this 
colony—Huon pine. But that was very rapidly dying out, and soon 
there would be none in the country. There was no doubt that if the 
button-grass plains could be made to grow Baltic timber, or anything 
else it would be turning into the useful what was now useless. At any - 
rate, if the experiment were made it would be a step towards the 
solving of the question, and it might bring out, in one way or another, 
the way how the proposal might be carried out hereafter. (Hear, 
hear.) 
The motion was carried unanimeusly. 
THE GEOLOGY OF THE LAKE ST. CLAIR DISTRICT. 
Mr. Grauam OFfricer, B.Sc., Melbourne University, contributed a 
paper on ‘“‘The Geology of the Lake St, Clair District, Tasmania.” 
