168 



The Black Pine, a decidedly inferior timber, spongy, and of no durability^ 

 The timber is dark, also the branchlets and fruit-p9ds, which are quite black. 

 It decays in the ground in two years. It can be distinguished from the other 

 varieties for weeks after it is cut, as it glistens along the face of the timber 

 like thousands of minute diamonds. The knots of the Black Pine are not so 

 large, but are much more plentiful throughout the tree; again, the Black Pine- 

 invariably grows on the southern and western slopes of the mountains. It is 

 also much more highly scented than the other pines when being cut. (J. V. de- 

 Coque, speaking chiefly uf the Western Pine.) 



It seems to stand fairly well in the ground when used for verandah posts ia 

 out-buildings, the rule being to erect them with the bark on, which, I am 

 informed, gives them greater durability. When required for building purposes 

 here, it is brought from the Tamworth and Gunnedah districts, but it is not 

 used to any great extent, although highly useful and ornamental for inside- 

 purposes in buildings. (Forester Siddins, Armidale. ) 



Some Black or Mountain Pine from the Inverell district (District 

 Forester Stopford) belonging to this species has but little figure. As it 

 approacjies the tableland it appears to lose much of that richness of colour 

 tliat this species possesses on the western plains. Locality lias, of course, 

 much to do with the physical properties of timber. 



8ize. — It is a small tree, seldom exceeding 30 feet in height and 18 inches- 

 in diameter. — (Forester Benson, Bog-a. speaking of ilouaro.) 50-60 feet- — 

 (Forester Taylor, Wagga Wagga). 



It is of a stunted habit, and though it attains a height of -jO feet, a tree can- 

 seldom be found of more than 8 Inchir's in diameter, 3 feet from the ground; 

 thus it is iiractically useless for milling purposes. (Forester Siddins, Armi- 

 dale.) 



This species has an extensive range in New South Wales. It is found 

 over enormous areas west of the Dividing Range, and also in rocky declivi- 

 ties and canons in the southern and northern tablelands. It also occurs in 

 Victoria and Queensland. 



Abundant on the reserves and alienated lands bordering on the Snowy 

 Klver, county of Wellesley. (Forester Benson, Bega.) 



Red or Jlountain Pine, Wagra, T'pper JIurray. Small stunted Black Pine, 

 from a hill near Wagra, Murray River. (These specimens belong to G. 

 calcarata.) Soil stiff, red, and sandy. (Forester Taylor, Wagga Wagga.) 



Pine is also to be found in the Killimicat Ranges, between Tumut and 

 Gundagai. A large (luantity o.f it, but no trees of any size, and growing on 

 very rough barren country. (Forester Jlecham, Tumut.) 



There are probably between 8,000 and 10,000 acres of Black Pine found upon 

 the timber reserves in this district. It is found principally in rough, rocky 

 country, on gravelly soil. (Forester Postlethwaite, Grenfell.) 



On shallow soils; on stony or rock ridges. (District Forester Marriott, 

 Dubbo. ) 



Mitchell (Troiiiral Australia, p. !•;>) made sleepers of C. pyramidaJis, 14 

 feet long and 2 feet wide, to carry his drays over the Yarrau Swamp. 



It is not plentiful ; the most cununon is the Western Pine, but it does not 

 thrive well, owing, I l.iclievo, to the cold preventing its proper development. It 

 rarely reaches 2 feet in girth, the average size of the largest being about 18' 

 inches in circnmferem e. On the eastern side of the Main Range, I have not 

 seen any; if there is, it is in small (piautities, and in remote places. (Former 

 Forester Siddins, Armidale.) 



No f'yijress Pine is iound on the New England table-land, though it comes 

 well upon the western slope. Black or Mountain Pine is obtained near 

 Inverell, in which locality tliere is a large (piautity of this kind of pine. It 

 grows almost exclusively in the roughest cduntry, in granite or, poor white 

 sandy soil, and very (jften forms a scrub of small saplings of from 1 to 5 

 inches in diamclcr. (The la(e District Forester Stopford, Armidale.) 



