116 



organs, pianofortes (sound-boards and actions), and' many otlier purposes 

 too numerous to individualise. It is a most useful timber for coach- 

 builders, in tbe bent timber branch. It bends well, and with proper treat- 

 m.ent from the felling and sawing of the lumber, it substitutes perfectly for 

 the bent timber in, say, an Austrian chair, and would look as well, and feel 

 as light. For narrow boards it is used in the coach-building trade in 

 Sydney in place of American Walnut, and it is taken for that timber when 

 polished. It would last indefinitely in dry situations. It is really valuable 

 for panelling, and perhaps framing. Blackwood is strikingly like American 

 ,Walnut in most respects, — in fact, the former is probably often substituted 

 for the latter without the purchaser being any the wiser, the incentive being 

 that Walnut brings about four times the price in the Sydney market. If 

 Blackwood be treated with lime-water or potash, the deception will be com- 

 plete. Blackwood is pushing itself forward on its own merits, but it has to 

 fight against a good deal of the prejudice which is shown to Australian 

 timbers, largely caused by unseasoned timber having so often been supi?lied. 

 It requires fair play in the matter of seasoning, and will well repay any 

 reasonable care expended on it. The similarities of Walnut and Blackwood 

 are not confined to outward appearance, for their properties appear much 

 the same, hence a knowledge of the many uses to which the former timber 

 is put is useful as a guide to the capabilities of our Blackwood. A good 

 deal of it possesses a " broken grain " and satiny lustre which are exceedingly 

 ornamental. Nothing, in my opinion, resembles the figure of picked samples 

 so strongly as the South African mineral crocidolite, which, as is well 

 known, has a characteristic and beautiful appearance. The figured wood 

 is' cut into veneers. It takes a fine polish. A drawback to this valuable 

 timber is that it does not take the glue as well as many others. Rosewood 

 behaves similarly to glue; I do not know the reason of this; it may be from 

 the presence of oil cells. It was largely used for oil casks, chiefiy for the 

 Hobart whaling trade. The Ligbtwood was chiefly used for this purpose. 



I quote descriptions of Tasmanian wood by Mr. Allen Eansome, as, since 

 we look forward to an increasing trade in Australian timbers with the United 

 Kingdom and the continent of Europe, a report by a well-known English 

 expert has peculiar value: — ■ 



Blackwood.— A sound, mild-working timber of a brownish colour, closely 

 striped with streaks of various shades of reddish-brown, and frequently 

 crossed by diagonal marks of a light golden colour. The more ornamental 

 logs of this wood are exceedhigly beautfful, and should fetch a high price in 

 this (London) market, where they could be used to advantage in place of the 

 best Honduras Mahogany, while the less ornamental logs would s^e for a 

 higher class of joinery work, such as counter and shop fittings. TheVounger 

 growth is well suited for cooperage work, and a barrel made from one of tbe 

 pieces submitted for trial, before being artificially seasoned, is still quite 

 tight, and shows no sign of shrinkage. 



LigJitwood.— This is an inferior description of Blackwood, from which it 

 differs mainly in being of a lighter colour, and having a somewhat more open 

 grain. Although it will not compete with the Blackwood for highly orna- 

 mental cabinet work, it can be used in the place of cheap Mahogany for ward- 

 robe backs and other similar work. 



It will be observed that most of the reports on the utility of this timber 

 refer to Tasmanian and Victorian wood. This is because the occurrence of 

 Blackwood in New South Wales is known to very few people, whereas, as is 

 stated in the proper place, it is very widely distributed in this State^. 

 although usually looked upon as some other timber. 



StiU, in the southern districts, it is worked up to some extent, and it only 

 requires that our people shall be informed that they have growing near 



