PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER. XXV 
NOVEMBER, 1893. 
The monthly meeting of the Royal Society was held on Tuesday» 
November 14. An apology for absence, caused by a previous engage 
ment, was read from His Excellency Lord Gormanston. Sir Lambert 
Dobson was voted to the chair. 
CONIFER PLANTING. 
‘Further notes on conifers planting in Tasmania, by Mr. T. Stephens, 
M.A., F.G.S.” The paper dealt historically with previous attempts 
that had been made, in some cases with great, and in others with 
moderate, success, to plant conifers in the colony. As the result of some 
planting experiments by the late Mr. Joseph Archer at Panshanger, in 
1821, four firs grown from seed now remained, the largest being 11ft. 
2in. in girth, and the others 10ft. 7in., 9ft. 10in., and 9ft, 4in., with 
heights of from 7Oft. to 80ft. Four other old fir trees from the first 
sowing were cut down 30 years since, and the boards ina room floored 
with them were as sound as the day when they were put down. The 
Pinus insignis was the most rapid growing tree. One planted about 25 
years was 13ft. in girth and another l0ft. The largest was in sandy 
loam, and the other in gravelly soil. Amongst those who did much to 
encourage the planting of foreign trees in the early days were the late 
Mr, James Denton Toosey, Mr. William Gibson, of Scone, the late 
Mr. George Meredith, and particulars were given of many of the trees 
they planted. Mr. Stephens feared that the industry was one to be 
left to private enterprise, for it would be idle at present to ask the 
Government to renew the attempt to establish a department of forestry. 
Something might, however, be done to protect the more valuable 
indigenous trees from premature destruction, and encouragement might 
be given to the cultivation of useful timber trees by leasing suitable 
tracts of the waste lands of the Crown at a peppercorn rent, on the sole 
condition that they should be occupied and used only for that special 
purpose. 
Mr. STEPHENS explained that the information was collected hurriedly 
for use when the subject first came before the Society some months ago. 
With more time no doubt it could be greatly supplemented. 
Hon, ©. H, Grant, M.L.C., and Mr. O. E. GREEN made some 
remarks on the question dealt with. 
NORFOLK ISLAND. 
Mr. J.B. Watker read some “Further Notes on Norfolk Island,” 
sketching the history of the failure and abandonment of the island as a 
penal settlement, and the transportation of the inhabitants to Tasmania, 
Mr. STEPHENS said that the Society was again indebted to Mr. 
Walker for adding another chapter to the history of Tasmania, and he 
had no doubt that in time to come it would be embodied in some 
ot work other than the proceedings of the Royal Society. (Hear, 
ear.) 
BOTANICAL NOTES. 
Mr. L. Ropway contributed a paper dealing technically with one or 
two plants previously brought before the notice of the Society, but 
chiefly with plants new to science and Tasmania, with details and 
descriptions, and going on to allude to some changes in the nomen- 
clature of some of our common plants. 
