90 Analysis of certain Woods of Tasmania. 



productive woods of the American forests. These latter 

 produce 3.9 parts of pure potassa to 1000 parts of wood ; 

 whereas the she-oak and white gum produce 5 parts of 

 potassa to 1000 parts of wood. If, then, it can answer in 

 America, where labour is much dearer than it is here, to 

 prepare potash from the ashes of timber containing a much 

 smaller amount of that substance than the woods of this 

 Colony, it is reasonable to suppose that the manufacture might 

 be attempted here with success. Should it be found to pay 

 only a portion of the cost of clearing the dead wood from 

 the pastures of the Colony, a very great advantage would be 

 gained ; for it is not too much to say, that in some places 

 one-third of the land is rendered valueless for pasture by 

 the amount of dead wood scattered over it, throwing out of 

 consideration the chance of casual injury to sheep, loss 

 of wool, &c. The simplicity of the operation is one great 

 point in its favour. Did it require a large outlay of capital, 

 or any peculiar skill or dexterity in the manipulation, it 

 might perhaps admit of a doubt whether the probable 

 returns would be such as to justify the undertaking ; but all 

 that is required in the way of apparatus is an iron pot or 

 boiler, a cask or tAvo with a false bottom, and cock to draw 

 off the lixivium, and a few casks to pack the potash in when 

 produced. The outlay, then, will be trifling ; and if the 

 return is not large in amount, yet if it prove sufficient to 

 pay the cost of labour expended, the contingent benefit 

 to the land will yield an ample profit to the owner or 

 occupier. 



In cases where the laud, if cleared of trees, would be 

 available for the purpose of agriculture, the value of the 

 potash produced might be sufficient to make the expense of 

 clearing and grubbing the land so as to prepare it to receive 

 a crop a wise outlay, which, without such a return, would 

 lie but a piece of extravagance. It is true that the removal 



