64 FOEEST CULTURE AND 



generally at a yearly increase, through new gold dis- 

 coveries in the district spoken of, and elsewhere. 

 Although, on the Clunes mines, the price of wood has 

 not materially risen during the last six years, it must 

 be borne in mind that remuneration of labor has sunk, 

 indicating, in reality, a considerable increase in the 

 price of the fuel. New railway lines may, certainly, 

 bring wood, for a time, at moderate prices, to the mi- 

 ners ; but this measure copes not with the real diffi- 

 culty of the wood question, but only defers it, as such 

 sources of supply will also become exhausted, while 

 carriage, from an indefinite distance, will become a 

 financial impossibility. The present price of coal, at 

 Clunes, is far too high to allow it to be substituted for 

 wood. Now let us pass on to still other considerations 

 bearing on this question. It so happens that the de- 

 crease of timber in our colonies is hastened by other 

 agencies than those of sacrifice for utilitarian supply. 

 Irrespective of the ordinary causes by which, in many 

 countries, the virgin forests became devastated, there 

 are, additionally, others which operate in our colony 

 to augment the extensive destruction of woods. The 

 miner ignites the underwood, with a view of uncover- 

 ing any quartz-reefs or tracing mineral riches of other 

 kinds. Although he desires only to force thus his way 

 through a limited space of scrub, or uncover, for inspec- 

 tion, a small extent of ground, he really sets, some- 

 times, the whole forest on fire, unchaining the furies of 

 the fiery element, which, in its ruinous and rapid prog- 

 ress, consumes innumerable stately trees, requiring the 

 growth of one. or even several centuries to attain their 

 spacious dimensions. The burning trees, a prey of the 

 flg.rpes, cany \vitli tfiep} jpany others in their fall ; 



