Brarg.— On the Building Materials of Otago. 178 
inches square, supported at both ends. As his results will probably be the 
standard in future, any further experiments in New Zealand should be on 
the same scale. Mr. Brunton, C.E., Invercargill, tested four samples each 
of black pine and totara on ten feet bearings. One ofthe former was eight, 
and all the others four, inches square. The large black pine piece broke 
with six and three-quarter tons, and the average breaking weight of the 
smaller pieces was—for black pine, twenty-three and a half hundred-weights ; 
and totara, twenty and three-quarter hundred-weights. When worked out 
in the same manner, this makes black pine fifty-three per cent, and totara 
thirty-one per cent. weaker than the mean of Mr Balfour’s experiments with 
small samples. Table No. IV. hereto appended, gives the main results of 
Mr. Balfour’s experiments put into a more popular form than the one he | 
adopts, which is intended for professional men. My table simply gives the 
* weight," “ strength,” “elasticity,” and *'toughness"' of the principal 
Otago timbers, with examples of well-known varieties from other countries. 
The fifth and last table that I have prepared is intended as a guide in 
the selection of native timber for special purposes. It gives an abstract of 
the properties and uses of the various kinds referred to in the paper. 
In conclusion, I claim to have shown that Otago, and New Zealand 
generally, is well provided with good timber suitable for all the purposes of 
the constructive and mechanical arts. How then is it that we import 
£130,000 worth annually from foreign countries? I shall leave the question 
to be answered by the political economist, for I can see no valid reason for 
the anomaly. I can only view the fact as a grave reflection on our 
enterprise. 
