384 Transactions. — Botany. 



Probably many seeds germinate through being trodden in by the stock ; 

 at the same time numbers of seedlings must be annually destroyed from the 

 same cause ; many obtain protection from clumps of Pomaderris and manuka. 

 On another farm about 500 gum-seedlings have been transplanted from the 

 pastures and waste-lands this season. m Compared with the grass-lands, the 

 young gum-trees springing up amongst the indigenous vegetation — as might 

 be expected — are scarce ; yet they are sufficiently numerous to make it 

 appear not improbable that, if allowed their freedom, in the course of time 

 they would spread over the more favourable portions of the district. Al- 

 though the seedlings naturally stand a better chance in the struggle for life 

 amongst the dwarf vegetation, those that germinate amongst the stronger 

 manuka, once they attain the level of their taller rivals, compete successfully 

 with the surrounding vegetation. When not too dense gum-seeds will 

 germinate and grow amongst manuka four feet or more in height. The 

 seeds appear not to be widely disseminated, the furthest plant yet observed, 

 from the supposed parent-tree, being 98 yards to the eastward. In the 

 vicinity of four gum-trees — the remains of two homesteads deserted upwards 

 of 25 years ago — numerous young plants have sprung up amongst the furze 

 and manuka. It would have been interesting to have watched the annual 

 increase, but, unfortunately many of them have been destroyed by fire, or 

 carted away by settlers. In another part of the district, some of the self- 

 sown seedlings, growing amongst the indigenous vegetation, have attained a 

 height of 31 feet. The greater portion of the young plants are seedlings of 

 Eucalyptus globulus, this species being the most numerous ; but interspersed 

 amongst them are seedlings of E. piperita, rostrata, lurmastoma, etc. 



Gum-trees in this country produce fertile seed in less than ten years ; 

 some will attain a girth of 9 feet 1 inch, and many a height of about 80 feet 

 in 27 years. 



I have not had the opportunity of personally observing to what extent 

 the Eucalyptus has spread in other districts, but I am told that at Waiuku 

 the seedlings are "coming up in crowds" near some old trees. In this case, 

 however, the native vegetation has been destroyed by fire. The common E. 

 globulus appears to spread most freely ; but as it is not improbable that some 

 of the more valuable Australian timber-trees may spread with equal freedom, 

 considering their rapid growth and that they are rarely destroyed by stock, 

 the fact may not be without some value in regard to our future forests. 



