JULY. 



The monthly evening meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania was 

 held at the Museum on Tuesday evening. Mr. James Barnard occupied 

 the chair. Apologies for absence were received from the President 

 ("Viscount Gormanston) and the Hon. Sir J. W. Agnew. 



TASMANIAN TIMBERS — THEIR COMMERCIAL USES AND PREPARATION 

 FOR MARKET. 



Mr. A. Oseorn Green read a practical paper on this subject. 

 He stated that last year Tasmania's timber exports were valued at 

 £18,000, the imports at £9,000, and the excess of exports over imports 

 for the past five years was ±66,000. Norway, a poor and sparsely 

 inhabited country, with no trees that would cut 12in. planks, exported 

 every year timber valued at several millions sterling. Tasmania was 

 covered with trees, some of which would singly furnish sufficient timber 

 to build a ship ; trees furnishing timber for every industrial purpose, 

 comparing favourably with any for keeping in truth, durability, hard- 

 ness or softness, heaviness or lightness, beauty of marking, and 

 fragrance. Notwithstanding this Tasmanian timber exports were 

 nominal, the woods not being merely unknown in the world's markets, 

 but the majority were only known as curiosities in the city of Hobart 

 itself. A buyer would have difficulty in placing an order for them. 

 Out of the 10 euca'ypti of the island 6 were not obtainable in plank. 

 But it was gratifying that our timber imports were yearly falling off, 

 and it should be the endeavour of every one with the interests of 

 Tasmania at heart to bring her valuable timbers into more general use 

 locally, and by the diffusion of more exact knowledge to bring about 

 such an export trade as would for ever assure the colonv a large and 

 certain revenue. He submitted a complete list of Tasmanian timber 

 trees. These would supply timber for every industrial purpose for 

 which timber was us=d. It was said that ''common hardwood " was 

 not to be depended upon. The faults were not of the timber, but 

 attributable to distinct kinds of trees, cut in and out of season, being 

 promiscuously bundled together under the name of " sum " or 

 " hardwood " timber, to the want of classification, and to the use 

 of unseasoned timber where only seasoned should have been used ; 

 or, where unseasoned timber was admissible, using it without proper 

 provision for the shrinkage which must occur. Suppliers and users 

 must recognise the necessity for treating timbers like men — timbers 

 must be classified and put to the work for which they were best 

 suited. It was a hopeful sign that a large cargo of named eucalyptus 

 had been sent to London, profitably sold, and a second cargo was being 

 prepared. Sawmill owners and timber merchants had prayed for an 

 independent inspection before the timber was shipped, and were 

 diligently seeking how to assure a continuation of orders and further 

 expansion of business. The necessity for inspection was shown by 

 the fact thst some lots were not allowed to be shipped, and chiefly 

 owing to the appointment of an independent inspector the shipment 

 had been described as undoubtedly the best that had ever been sent 

 from Hobart. This was satisfactory, but it was only once. The 

 inspector was only appointed temporarily, and his duties then only 

 extended to keeping out bad timber. The timber was only to be used 

 for the commonest purpose, for paving roadways, and coming into 

 competition with the cheapest timber placed upon the London market — 

 yellow deal in short lengths. Not that yellow deal was by any means 

 to be despised, for it was of a durable nature, and the people supply- 

 ing it graded and classified it as a matter of course. Therefore, if 

 our exporters hoped to keep the footing already obtained they must not 

 dream of relaxing a jot of the conditions by means of which that foot- 



