143 



2. lis alleged Special Tendency to Shakiness. — Mr. Robert Kaleski, who 

 formerly resided on the Dorrigo, wrote to me some years ago : — 



Rosewood grows about 120 to 300 feet, about 12 feet girtb, sometimes roinid 

 in barrel, sometimes very spurry ; clean barrel lilie rest of scrub timbers. 

 Faultiest tree for the mill in N.S.W., apparently sound trees shaking and 

 splitting wheii broken down on the bench. Will not take glue, ajid will last for 

 posts and blocks about eight years In the ground. Never loses scent ; goes for 

 same soil as Cedar, llature trees nearly always rotten inside, often only a 

 shell ; sort of white ant responsible for this ; goes in at the bottom of spurs' 

 and works upwards. Generally grows in clumps like Cedar. Belt runs fioni 

 W. to N.S. : large quantity at N.E. to Paddy's Plain. Is at present being cut 

 for Germany for the mills. Very pretty figuring, woolly to work, grain too^ 

 short for building stuff. Farrly durable in weather ; fair amount available. 

 H.",s red seed (fruit, J. H. M.) something like a small cherry. 



Out of 100,000 feet standing, which I bought on speculation. I could only 

 lind 30,000 to fall, and 40 per cent, of that proved to be faulty when down^ 

 some apparently sound trees splitting In halves, when hitting the ground, from 

 t'nd to end. Its drawing weight is 300 feet to a ton. Very liable to develop- 

 shakes after being sawn a few weeks. Tree always unsound if dead branches- 

 on top. My own selection contained more Rosewood than any one 1 know of 

 on the Dorrigo. , 



This is an exact copy. In 1893 I wrote, after a careful inspection of the 

 Dorrigo; — 



Rosewood. — A fine tree 5 feet C Inches in diameter and 140 feet to the first 

 branch was seen, but although the northern portion of the Dorrigo Is full of 

 Rosewood (merchantable), say 4 feet in diameter, it does not attain the same- 

 magnificent dimensions that it does in parts of the coast districts. 



Nearly all our brush timbers lack tensile strength, and, particularly when 

 they attain a large size, they require careful felling, otherwise the logf. may 

 be injured. In Europe, the injury to timber in falling is very carefully 

 guarded against, but here special precautions to break the fall of a large 

 tree, e.g., by dropping it on smaller wortliless timber, is very rarely thought 

 of. Cedar is often shaken by careless felling. I have already stated that 

 the Rosewood trees of the Dorrigo are not so fine as those of the coast belt, 

 and if the large percentage of over-mature trees on the Dorrigo be as stated 

 by Mr. Kaleski, thten the sooner, in any rational system of forestry, they are- 

 cut out to make room for young growth the better. Over-mature trees only 

 cumber the ground, and are a hindrance and a perplexity to the forester. 



In view of Mr. Kaleski's very strong language, " Faultiest tree for the- 

 mill in N.S.W,," the following passage from the report of Mr, Boorman, 

 Collector, Botanic Gardens, to me, is interesting. He wrote me from the 

 Macpherson Range, and had never seen Mr. Kaleski's report : — 



This (Rosewood) is a very large tree, of immense timber-producing qualitie,"^, 

 as, in addition to size, it is perfectly sound throughout. 



I want to get at the 'truth i;i regard to our timbers. I always state their 

 alleged defects when I know them, for we must be as careful in stating^ 

 defects as in attributing excellencies. 



Size. — 

 One of the largest trees in the district In which it is found, varying in heigtli 

 from 70 to 100 feet, and from 4 to 5 feet in diameter (C. Moore, loc. cif.) 



Tall and massive trees of 100-140 feet, 20 to 30 feet at base. Acacia Creek, 

 Macpherson Range, >f.S.'W. (W. Dunn and J. L. Boorman.) 



Following is another report from Mr. Boorman to me: — 



It reaches the height of 80-140 feet, whilst its girth measurements are any- 

 thing between 20-40 feet. 



