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Yernacular Name. — " Woolly Butt " : The bark is of a dirty grey, brittle, 

 fibrous ebaracter, and was thought to be of woolly texture. It often 

 resembles box bark a good deal. 



The name " Woolly Butt '' is, of course, descriptive of the bark, but it is 

 not a perfectly happy one. I have frequently seen trees with barks not more 

 woolly than that of ,'the " Bla(?kbutt." It has this advantage, however, that 

 the term "Woolly Butt" is, so far as I know, never applied to any other 

 gum-tree, although there is another native tree growing in the northern 

 part of this State, to which I have also heard the name applied. I allude 

 to the " Brush" or " Scrub Box" (Tristania conferta). 



This tree often goes by the names of "Peppermint" and "Eedwood"^in 

 the South Coast district, the latter name being used for obvious reasons, and 

 the former because the bark resembles that of another Eucaylptus tree, 

 knovm as " Peppermint," both in texture and being persistent to the 

 ultimate branches. 



The use of these names on the South Coast is not a little puzzling. 

 " Woolly Butt " is the common name in the Sydney district, but " Pepper- 

 mint " or " Redwood " is in luost general use from, say, Shoalhaven to 

 iloruya, while " Woolly Butt " is most commonly in use from Moruya to 

 Victoria. At the same time, I have heard the three names used indiscrimi- 

 nately over a large area of the South Coast. It affords an excellent prac- 

 tical reason why botanical names should be used for timber trees wherever 

 possible. Confusion in names of timbers leads to trade disputes and uncer- 

 tainties and accusations of bad faith in many ways. 



Fruii. — This species can readily be determined from its fruit, which are 

 usually in threes. They are the largest fruits of any of the Eastern Austra- 

 lian species, and fhe shape is characteristic. Their size, and the sculpture 

 of the rim, vary somewhat. 



Bark. — The bark is persistent or partially deciduous,, and has a greyish 

 appearance; the young trees being very much like the box- tree (E. 

 liemiphloia or Bosistoana). 



Timber. — Dark red, of a wavy grain, rather heavy, and not unlike red 

 ironbark in general appearance, for which more valuable timber it is some- 

 times substituted. It is a very durable timber, but deficient in strength and 

 elasticity, particularly near the heart. Many of the trees are also faulty, 

 and hence it is not a favourite with saw-millers. 



I look upon it as a really valuable timber for wood-paving. It is not our 

 best timber for the purpose, but it is of proved value under very trying- 

 circumstances as regards exposure. Like red mahogany and others of our 

 limbers, it belongs 'to the jarrah class. Although it lias been passed off as 

 ironbark sleepers and even girders, it is an inferior timber to ironbark on 

 account of its comparative brittlencss, a defect which would not in any way 

 affect its usefulness for wood-blocking. 



It is used principally for fencing-posts, for which purpose It is well 

 adapted. I have known posts that were thirty years in wet marshy land 

 which, when taken out, were quite fresh looking, showing no sign of decay. 

 It is a splendidly durable timber for wet ground, 



In 1892 Mr. C. J. CuUen wrote to me: 



There is a fence on my brother's hmd at .Tamheroo that was erected in 

 1851, and is consequently ovor fifty years iu existence— post and rails of 

 woollybutt, and a portion of it .still in a good state of preservation, liliely to 



