98 FOREST CULTtJEE AND 



Similar substances from various melaleucas might be 

 added. Originally, an opinion was entertained that 

 all the eucalyptus oils have great resemblance to each 

 other ; such, however, proved not to be the case when 

 it came to accurate experimental tests. Thus, for 

 instance, the oil which in such rich percentage is 

 obtained from Eucalyptus amygdalina, though excel- 

 lent for diluting the most delicate essential oils, is of 

 far less value as a solvent for resins in the fabrication 

 of select varnishes. For this latter purpose the oil 

 of one of the dwarf Eucalypts forming the Mallee 

 Scrub, a species to which I gave, on account of its 

 abundance of oil, the name ''Eucalyptus oleosa" 

 nearly a quarter of a century ago, proved far the best. 

 It is this Mallee oil which now is coming into exten- 

 sive adaptations for dissolving amber, Kauri resin, 

 and various kinds of copal. Mr. Bosisto's researches 

 are recorded in the volume of the Royal Society of 

 Victoria for 1863 ; Mr. Osborne's in the Jurors' 

 Reports of the Exhibition of 1862. For alluding so 

 far to this oil distillation I have a special object in 

 view. I wish to see it adopted near and far as a col- 

 lateral forest industry, now that the way for the ready 

 sale of this product is so far paved. The patentee is 

 willing to license any person to adopt his process, and 

 he is also ready to purchase the oil at a price which 

 will prove remunerative to the producer. If it is now 

 considered how inexhaustible a material for this oil 

 industry is everywhere accessible in our ranges, how 

 readily it is obtainable, particularly at saw-mills and 

 at splitters' establishments, and how easily the pro- 

 cess of the distillation can be performed, it would be 

 really surprising should these facilities not be seized 



