212 TIMBERS AND THEIR USES 



than 500,000 acres. This small forest area is 

 accounted for by the fact that the nomadic 

 natives have, for years, been in the habit of 

 burning vast areas of forest in order to secure 

 a new growth of grass for their herds; moreover 

 this method of clearing was copied by the early 

 European settlers. The work of reafforestation 

 is now progressing rapidly after having been 

 organized by Count de Vasselot of the French 

 Forest School at Nancy. 



Large quantities of timber are imported into 

 the colony. Pine and Spruce from Sweden, 

 Norway and North America ; Kauri Pine from 

 New Zealand ; Karri and Jarrah from Western 

 Australia and Messmate from Tasmania. 



" For a considerable period great attention 

 has been devoted to plantation work. In addi- 

 tion to conifers, such as the Maritime, Monterey, 

 Aleppo, Canary Island, Pitch and Northern 

 Pines, Australian Eucalypti and Wattles have 

 been largely planted, both in the State reserves 

 and on private lands. Among the two genera 

 last mentioned are Blue Gum, Jarrah, Karri, 

 Sugar Gum, Red Gum, Yellow Box, Mountain 

 Ash and New South Wales Mahogany. The 

 Blue Gum is more extensively planted than any 

 other Australian hard wood, its quick growth on 

 suitable soil and early yield of timber making 

 it a favourite with both foresters and settlers. 



