109 



open to any botanist to try his hand at a Federal survey. Each man engaged on such 

 a collective task will give his work the impress of his own individuality, and the final 

 co-ordination could fairly be supported by Commonwealth funds. 



3. The E. albens Line. The curving boundary of this well-known species has 



been shown to be so important in its relations that it may be especially noted as 



illustrative. Mr. R. H. Cambage first drew my attention to its importance about 1904, 



and he subsequently wrote : — 



The area described as the Western Slopes (N.S.W.) forms a gradation from the mountains to the 

 plains, and has a less rainfall than either the coastal or mountain division. Its eastern margin practically 

 coincides with that of E. albens Miq. (White or Grey Box), and nowhere in New South Wales is any particular 

 zone of temperature better defined by the vegetation over such a distance than along the eastern edge of 

 these White Box trees. This species seems to slightly prefer an igneous to a sedimentary formation, but 

 may be found on both, and is usually looked upon as an indication of good wheat-producing country. Its 

 distribution throughout the length of the State affords an excellent illustration of the gradual change of 

 climate from south to north. In the south it is seldom found above an elevation of 1,500 feet, but in the 

 north it often ascends to upwards of 2,500 feet, and in places reaches to 3,000 feet. (Joimi. Aval. Assoc. 

 Adv. ScL, XI. 481, 1907.) 



In the following year, in " The Surveyor," xxi, p. 11, he expands the above, 

 and gives details as to the localities and topography of the earlier paper. It is too 

 long to reproduce here, but it should be carefully read. At Part XI, 23 (1910), of the 

 present work. I have drawn attention to Mr. Cambage's observations, which indicate 

 a useful climatic boundary to agriculturists, pastoralists and others. 



(Incidentally it may be remarked that the soil on which E. salmonophloia occurs 

 has proved the best for wheat-growing in Western Australia, consequently the curving 

 boundary of that species would prove useful in study of the wheat problem). 



Except as regards the north of New South Wales (where it is not well defined), 

 I adopted the albens line as the western boundary of the Western Slopes in my 

 Vegetation Zones Map of 1906 (Agri. Gaz. N.S.W. , June, 1906, p. 632). 



It may be described as follows, as far as our present knowledge goes : — 



Western boundary, N.S.W. Going north from the Murray, we have Corowa, 

 Coreen, north to Binya, east to Temora, north to Barmedman, north-east to Grenfell, 

 then more or less north-west to the Forbes district, thence more or less north-east to 

 Parkes, Peak Hill, Narromine, Gilgandra, Baradine, north to Pilliga, nearly due east to 

 Narrabri, north-east to Bingara and Warialda. 



The country between this district and the Queensland border has not been fully 

 mapped out as regards this species. Forest Guard Lance B. Peacocke says that it is 

 plentiful throughout most of the Inverell district, where the basalt and shale formations 

 appear. (The eastern record of the Inverell district cannot be pushed much further 

 to the east, because the cold will be too much for E. albens as Glen Innes is approached). 

 He specifically quotes Mt. Topper, State Forest No. 419. Parish of Swinton, County 

 of Hardinge, and the Parishes of Ashiord, Mclntyre and Bannockburn, County of 

 Gough, and of Ena, Boraand Adowa, County oi Arrawatta. 



