EUCALYPTUS TEEES. 65 



others become partially scorched, and linger gradu- 

 ally to decay ; others becocae at least so far impaired 

 as to offer no longer a sound or superior timber. Very 

 aged Eucalyptus - trees are almost always suffering 

 already from natural decay in the central portions of 

 the stem. It is fac from me to wish to impede the 

 operations and progress of the miners, to whose intel- 

 ligence and hard-working activity this country owes 

 so much ; but the advantages of gold-mining in our 

 ranges may sometimes be too dearly bought at the 

 expense of very extensive forest-destruction, with all 

 the evils concomitant to it, or sure to follow it. Many 

 other causes — ^such as the carelessness of travelers — 

 set also frequently portions of the forest on fire, while 

 the control over the devastation is lost. 



The answer to remonstrances amounts usually to 

 an opinion that more wood is springing up again than 

 has been destroyed ; but let us ask, how long will it 

 be until the suckers, saplings, or seedlings, which, 

 undoubtedly, in many instances, occupy the burned 

 ground, forming perhaps impenetrable thickets, until 

 they will really have advanced to the size of timber- 

 trees, fit for the saw - mill ? In other localities, less 

 densely wooded, where the trees were so dispersed 

 as to give to the natural scenery, before it was dis- 

 turbed, a park -like appearance, in such localities, 

 which impressed on many of the original Australian 

 landscapes so much peculiarity, the growth of bushy 

 plants becomes, as a rule, by occupation of the ground, 

 quickly destroyed ; the shelter and shade, which kep^ 

 the mostly rather horizontal roots of the Eucalj'ptus 

 trees cool and moist, become largely withdr^n ; the 

 pendent Jeayeg atid la^ or distapt rainiflcation? o| the 



