85 



Timber. — The timber of this tree is usually darker in tint than E. piperita. It is fissile, free from 

 gum veins or shakes, clear in the grain, and enjoying a great reputation for durability. It is used for fencing 

 and sawing, and, according to Mr. Macalpine, of Yarraville, who has lived for forty years in South Gippsland, 

 fences are still standing with posts split from this eucalypt, which have been from thirty to forty years 

 in the ground. I have myself observed posts of this timber standing in fences at Woodside since 1859. 

 The local name of this tree is "Yellow Stringybark."— (Howitt, Trans. Roy. Soc. Vict., 1890). 



The late Mr. Clement Hodgkinson, a Commissioner of the Melbourne 

 Harbour Trust, interested himself in ascertaining the value of the timber of the 

 Yellow Stringybark, and there is no doubt that it is one of the best Victorian 

 timbers. Following are extracts from Mr. Hodgkinson's report to the Harbour 

 Trust, of the 17th January, 1891 :— 



The Inspector-General of Public Works having (on the 6th December last, in reply to a letter from 

 me to him on the 23rd November) informed me that the piles of the Welshpool Jetty were driven during 

 1859 and that, after the recent burning of that jetty it was repaired, "the stumps of the piles were found 

 to be in such excellent preservation that they were not withdrawn, but short pieces were spliced on," my 

 colleagues and myself were able to obtain specific and reliable evidence to the effect that these piles were 

 Yellow Stringybark cut during August, 1859, and driven during that year. We carefully scrutinised 

 these old piles when the tide was low and found them to be perfectly sound, uninjured by sea-worms, and 

 having the appearance of clean, well-seasoned timber, in excellent condition, notwithstanding that these 

 piles had been in sea water more than thirty-one years. 



With reference to the wharf at Port Albert, the Inspector-General of Public Works, in his letter 

 to me, already alluded to, stated that " Yellow Stringybark and Gum are in use in the wharf and 

 approaches to Port Albert. It is reported that, whereas the gum is fast decaying, the stringybark remains 

 sound." My colleagues and self, after examination of the Port Albert wharf, now corroborate this 

 statement ; the Yellow Stringybark used in the construction of this wharf is quite sound. 



We also inspected many old posts and rails, beams, planks, weatherboards, etc., of this kind of 

 Eucalyptus and we all noticed that it seemed less liable to warp than any other kinds of Eucalyptus, a 

 fact mentioned in one of my previous reports on Yellow Stringybark. As, in addition to the specially 

 important quality of great durability in the sea water, Yellow Stringybark has a specific strength very much 

 greater than that of Pied Gum and than that of Jarrah (as shown in the tabulated results of my tests of 

 Yellow Stringybark inserted in my report of 5th July, 1890), my colleagues and myself have arrived at 

 the conclusion that this species of Eucalyptus may be used for piles and other purposes in the Melbourne 

 Harbour Works. 



Determination by Commissioner Hodykinson of the specific strength and specific gravity of five 

 seasoned samples of Yellow Stringybark Timber, each being 6 feet 11|- inches long, l£ inch square, and 

 weighing 9^- lb., the distance between the bearers being 6 feet : — ■ 



Number of 

 Sample. 



Breaking 

 Weight. 



Deflection. 



Specific 

 Strength. 



Specific 

 Gravity. 



1 



2 



3 

 4 

 5 



Average . . . 



lb. 

 952 



800 



866 



905 



1,016 



in. 



4 



H 

 H 

 H 



4| 



2599 



2185 

 2368 

 2472 

 2775 



0-898 

 0-898 

 0-898 

 0-898 

 0-898 



908 



H 



2479 



0-898 



Reported to Harbour Trust, 5th July, 1890. 



