12 



matter. Their report will be found in an early issue of the Agricultural 

 Gazette, and will be found to contain a considerable amount of informa,tion 

 in regard to the merits of this timber for purposes other than wood-paving. 



Distribution. — North and south coast districts, but particularly in the 

 south. 



Quantity available. — Fairly abundant. 



(e) Grey Box (JEucalyptus hemipMoia, F. v. M.) 

 JVame. — Because of its tough, inlocked character, which reminded the 

 early settlers of Turkey box. Here, however, the resemblance ceases, as 

 our box is a coarser-grained, duller-looking timber, while in the colonies it 

 often goes by the name of " Box," the adjective " Grey " being used to dis- 

 tinguish it from red box, brush-box, &c. 



Characteristics. — Its toughness, hardness, cross-grained, non-fissile char- 

 acter, and its great strength. It is a pale hardwood, of a very pale brown. 



Principal uses. — It is used in the colonies for the naves of wheels and 

 heavy framing, and for the cogs of wheels, large screws, mauls, handles, 

 shafts, poles of drays, &c., which require a tough wood for their manufac- 

 ture. In Victoria it is in high repute for railway sleepers, and in that 

 colony and our own for piles, girders, &c. It can be recommended with con- 

 fidence to railway-carriage builders and others who require a strong, durable 

 timber for framing, &c. 



Distribution. — Coast and coast mountain districts. 



Quantity available. — Fairly abundant. 



3. RED HARDWOODS. 



(a) Red Mahogany {Eucalyptus resinifera, Sm.) 



(See an illustrated and descriptive article on the various so-called mahoganies of New 

 South Wales in the Agricultural Gazette for January, 1895.) 



Name. — This is the timber called mahogany, because it reminded the early 

 settlers of the Central American wood, which is, however, of much less 

 weight than our timber. Our timber-getters and saw-millers as often- as not 

 call it simply " mahogany," but, in view of the better known mahogany so 

 largely used in the northern hemisphere, it would only lead to confusion, if 

 our timber were exported without some qualifying adjective. I would, there- 

 fore, express the hope that it be consistently called, by way of distinction 

 (at all events in the export trade) " red mahogany," a term which is, of 

 course, very largely applied in the Colony to this timber. 



Other local names. — " Forest mahogany " is a term often used. 



Characteristics. — Of a rich red colour. Yery durable, and becoming very 

 hard with age, even as hard, or harder than ironbark. Resistant to white 

 ants, and does not discolour paint. 



Principal uses. — For general building purposes and for fencing, as it is a 

 very durable timber. It is an excellent timber for wood-paving, but while not 

 depreciating its value in this direction for a moment, I would point out that 

 there is just a little danger of our forgetting the merits of other valuable 

 paving timbers. Red mahogany is often sold as jarrah, which it closely 

 resembles, and for which I believe it is a perfect substitute. But there are 

 fashions and fads in paving-blocks, as in many other things, and European 

 users of our hardwoods should be reminded that we have a number of other 



