157 



Mr. Forester J. Gr. Postlethwaite, of Grenfell, a man of great experience 

 with western timbers, being asked to give a list of the 'best six fuel woods 

 of his district, adds this caution : — 



I do not give Pine as a good fuel wood for general use, as it is too dangerous, 

 throwing out sparlis and burning too fiercely, but it is the best for heating 

 boilers and bakers' ovens. 



The ordinary "" Colonial Pine " of the Sydney market is the Richmond 

 Eiver Pine, called also Hoop Pine, White Pine, or Maryborough Pine 

 {Araucaria C unninghamii) . Cypress Pine is often known as Colonial Pine 

 in the districts in which it grows, and confusion has arisen, >ere now, in 

 interpreting " Colonial Pino " in contracts. 



White Ants and Cypress Pine. — I have already referred to the fact that 

 while this pine is very resistant it is not absolutely so. Following is some 

 evidence in the matter : — 



If only fully matured timber be used, that Is the darlv yellow-coloured wood, 

 ants will not touch it. It is only the light yellow-coloured timber (which is cut 

 from trees not fully grown or matured) that the ants will iittacls. I find from 

 Inquiries that white ants attiiolv this, timber either growing or when fallen, so 

 far as the sapwood and bark is concerned. They will nlso attacli the fresh cut 

 timber before the sap dries. There are four varieties recognised in the western 

 districts. (J. V. de Coque.) These are white, red, and yellow (see C. rolmsta), 

 and black fC. calcarata). which last timber Mr. de Coque issues a warning 

 against. 



Both Black and White Pine are of a very durable quality, and are exten- 

 sively used in the building trade, for which they are much prized on account of 

 their white ant resisting qualities. Lhave examined pine timber that has been 

 in use lu buildings for forty years, and find it still perfctly sound. I consider 

 it is a great oversight that this timber is not introduced by the building trades 

 into Sydney, where the white ant is so destructive. (Forester Condell, 

 Narrandera.) 



A house in my district is built of hardwood, with the exception of the ceil- 

 ings and lining-boards. A set of pigeon-holes, 11 feet x 4 feet, made out of 

 imported pine, in one of the rooms, is, together with all the wood in the build- 

 ing, excepting our own colonial pine cut in the district, showing signs of white 

 ants. The palings round this building are also of imported pine, and although 

 only of seven years' standing they have now to be, pulled down on account of 

 the white ants eating the boards, and replaced by palings made out of the 

 locally-grown pine. Other houses in the same town, with palings of Colonial 

 Pine, standing over fifteen years, show no signs of white ants. (Forester 

 Harris, Gunnedah.) 



Exudation (Australian Sandarac). — It was a specimen of resin from the 

 Oyster Bay Pine of Tasmania (C. cupressiformis, var. tasmanica), sent to 

 the Exhibition of 1851, which first drew the attention of experts to the 

 possibilities of Australian Sandarac. 



This is one of the most valuable of Australian vegetable products: a 

 market is ready for it, and it seems strange that it should have been so 

 much neglected. There are no statistics available in regard to the importa- 

 tion of Sandarac into these colonies, but to bring it here at all is a veritable 

 " carrying coals to Newcastle." 



It is a matter of common observation, that a number of raw vegetable 

 products of more or less importance are going to waste in Australia, simply 

 because oilr people are ignorant of their properties and value. I can hardly 

 cite a better instance than that of Australian Sandarac. Here we have a 

 product absolutely and entirely identical in chemical and physical proper- 

 ties with a well-known article in regular demand. The price of this article 



