201 



Bulletin No. 1 of the Forests Department of Western Australia is entitled — 

 ' The Kiln-drying of Jarrah " (E. marginata), by C. E. Lane-Poole, late Conservator 

 of Forests, who acknowledges the collaboration of Acting Professor A. Tomlinson, of 

 the Engineering School of the local University. Royal 8vo, 22 pp., and profusely 

 illustrated (1919). There are chapters on Seasoning, Kiln-drying, the well-known 

 Tiemann Kiln, its Construction, Operation of the Kiln, Case-hardening, Temperature, 

 Shrinkage, with notes on After-treatment, Improvements and Grading of Timber. 



The case for natural seasoning is given by V. B. Trapp in " The Gum Tree," 

 quoted in " The Australian Forestry Journal," March, 1920, p. 84. But already a 

 small library has been written on the subject. 



Specific Gravity. 



There is much room for research in this direction, the published results being 

 alike few as regards both individuals and species, many being not represented at all. 

 And of very few results can we say that we know the biological history of the timber 

 whose specific gravity is recorded. Here is a useful line of research for a student, or 

 rather, many of them, who will first have to decide as to a uniform method of presenting 

 their results. 



Speaking generally, we have to refer to the specific gravity of Eucalyptus timbers 

 in vague terms, e.g., amongst the heaviest timbers we include Ironbarks (various 

 species), Tallow-wood (E. microcorys F.v.M.), Yate (E. occidentaMs Endl.). 



Warren, in his "Australian Timbers" (1887), p. 13, and 1892 (Chicago 

 Exhibition), p. 20, gives the weights per cubic foot of five New South Wales timbers 

 by two methods — the ordinary specific gravity method and by direct weighing and 

 measuring. These are — 



lb. per cub. ft. 



Grey Ironbark (E. paniculata) 73-854 



Red Ironbark (E. siderophloia) 76-522 



Spotted Gum (E. maculata) ... ... 62-195 



Blackbutt (E. pilularis) 65-539 



Woollybutt (E. hngifolia) 63-895 



The weights by the specific gravity method are also given. 



1889. — A number of weights of Eucalyptus timbers will be found in my " Useful 

 Native Plants of Australia" (1889), but while I worked on authenticated material, 

 the pieces weighed were too small to be satisfactory, as a rule. 



