Grass Tree. 145 



Art. II. — Grass Tree. By Charles W. Ligar, Esq., 



Surveyor General of Victoria. 



[Read 12th March, 1866.] 



Mr. President, — The useful character of the information 

 and the value it may ultimately prove to the Australian 

 colonies, will, I hope, plead effectually for the omission of 

 any formal notice of introduction to the Society. 



With your permission, I beg to lay on the table specimens 

 of the hitherto much neglected Grass Tree, or Xanthorea. 

 Among them you wiU find a part of the outer husk or cover- 

 ing in its natural state, and small blocks of the gum pre- 

 pared from the same. 



The saucer contains the brilliant dark red varnish produced 

 from it, while the two pieces of cedar-wood display its 

 power as a varnish in adding lustre to cabinet work, giving 

 a rich mahogany colour, most pleasing to the eye. 



The two small bottles contain the yellow dye extracted by 

 nitric acid, and called pieric acid. The bottle containing the 

 dark semifluid mass is sugar, obtained from the heart or 

 kernel of the tree ; and last but not least in importance, the 

 two bottles which contain the colourless fluid, represent the 

 spirit distilled therefrom. These articles speak for them- 

 selves, but in order to give an idea of their commercial value, 

 I append statements from men well able to judge, and for 

 which, and the specimens, I am indebted to Messrs. Strachan 

 and Smith, of this city. 



These gentlemen have erected at St. Ronan's, about six- 

 teen miles south of Colac, suitable buildings, and it is in 

 contemplation to introduce machinery for prosecuting the 

 work. 



It is computed that there is a sufiicient number of these 

 trees in the immediate vicinity of St. Ronan's, to supply 

 five hundred plants a week for the next ten years. 



The whole of the tree is utilised. The outer rind or husk 

 is composed chiefly of gum, with a small admixture of woody 

 fibre. The interior or kernel is about ten inches in length, 

 by about six inches in diameter. 



The first operation in the manufacture is to take ofi" the 

 outer husk, which is bruised and pounded, then placed on 

 shaking tables and a copious suj)ply of water allowed to run 

 over it. The vegetable matter then washes away, leaving 

 the pure gum. The trees usually weigh from eighty-four to 



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