On Colonial Timber Trees. 51 



when grown in a swampy district luxuriantly the timber is 

 straight in the grain and what is termed more free, and I 

 believe less durable. The red gum is not valuable for 

 furniture, except when used as veneer ; sometimes it is so 

 used, and is very beautiful in figure and colour. The chief 

 use which red gum is put to is for any work that is exposed 

 to the weather, as it appears to be the most durable timber 

 we have under severe exposure. Used as posts, for fencing, 

 it stands from twelve to fifteen years, and I should expect 

 it to last from ten to twelve years for railway sleepers. 



All the gum timbers have one strange appearance when 

 decaying, the wood separates across the grain, as if it had 

 beeir affected by fire and charred ; I account for this from 

 the non-elasticity of the timber, because when subjected to 

 expansion and contraction, caused by moisture in winter and 

 excessive heat in summer, the fibre of the wood breaks, 

 and so fissures across the grain make their appearance. 



The common wattle (Acacia dealbata) and other woods 

 are useful for the manufacture of casks, &c., but as these are 

 of minor importance they have not been introduced in this 

 paper. 



The Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)* should be largely 

 planted, as the timber is one of the most useful of thos® 

 indigenous to these colonies. 



Some of the European trees will doubtless be a great 

 acquisition to this country ; the following are a few of which 

 experience has proved their 'suitableness to the soil and 

 climate of Victoria. 



The English Ash (Fraxinus excelsior )-\- grows luxuriantly, 

 stands the hot winds well, near Melbourne, and probably 

 would grow even better in some of the damp gullies in the 

 ranges ; the timber •is most valuable. 



The Elms do well ; some of them are exceedingly useful 

 as timber trees, the common English Elm (JJlr^ius cam- 

 pestris) is used for boat-building, waggon-wheels, and many 

 other purposes where toughness is required. 



The English Oak (Quercus rubra) also thrives well. The 

 value of this timber can be scarcely over-estimated. 



The Poplars adapt themselves to this climate, and axe 

 luxuriant in damp situations. The timber is one of the 



* Dr. Mueller says this gum is common in Victoria. 



t Dr. Mueller has distributed large quantities of the various species of 

 ash, considering them important as timber trees growing so well in this 

 country. 



£ 2 



