209 



Interlocked Timbers. — Interlockedness is the converse of fissility, and, like it, 

 is not capable of other than broad generalisations at the present time. Interlocked 

 timbers which specially stand out are the Yate of Western Australia and the Ironbarks 

 and Boxes of the Eastern part. Engineers are working at the problems involved, for 

 economic reasons, and, in a few years, our interlocked timbers will be classified more 

 quantitatively than is the case at present. 



Reference may also be made to Mr. Baker's " Hardwoods of Australia," p. 13, 

 under the heading " Texture," and also at p. 9, he remarks under " Grain," which he 

 subdivides into Straight C4rain, Open Grain, Close Grain, Interlocked, Short-grained, 

 Wavy, &c. 



Inflammability. 



G. Rodney Cherry, '*' Comparative Combustibility of Timbers," is a paper read 

 before the Insurance Institute of New South Wales, 18th August, 1903, and published 

 in its Journal, " The Sydney Record," for September, 1903. 



It takes cognisance of a number of Eucalyptus timbers, amongst others. The 

 subject has been very little dealt with, and it is hoped that additional research will 

 be made. Mr. Cherry devised a special apparatus, and the tests (which seem somewhat 

 perplexing) were made with this apparatus. 



Stone, op. cit., p. xxxv (1904), has a few brief notes, of a general character, in 

 regard to simple qualitative tests of inflammability. 



A book " Firewoods : their Production and Fuel Values," by A. D. Webster, is 

 interesting because of the paucity of literature on the subject. It does not refer in 

 any way to Australian timbers or Australian conditions ; it is written chiefly for British 

 readers. 



Non-inflammability. — 



:: The British Fire-Prevention Committee made some careful inflammability trials with Jarrah 

 ' and Karri timbers a few years ago, with a view of obtaining reliable data as to their fire resistance capa- 

 bilities, when severe tests were applied. The results were regarded as generally satisfactory, and as 

 indicating that a building constructed of Jarrah or Karri would be unusually resistant to fire, especially 

 in the case of floors and floor-beams. Tuart is about equally resistant, while Blackbutt (E. patens) is 

 especially mentioned by the State Royal Commission as being notably non-inflammable." (G. A. Julius, 

 " W.A. Timbers," p. 12, 1906.) 



A paper on the " Fire-resisting Qualities of Eucalyptus Timbers " (" Australian 

 Forestry Journal," August, 1920, p. 248) quotes the tests of the British Fire Prevention 

 Committee, referred to by Mr. Julius, on Jarrah and Karri door and Jarrah floors, 

 made in 1902 and 1903. 



Endeavour must be made to gather together the scattered facts in regard to 

 the inflammability (and the reverse) of our living Eucalyptus timbers. Mr. W. A. W. 

 de Beuzeville speaks of the low fire-resisting power of E. fraxinoides in the Queanbeyan 

 district, New South Wales, which is important to foresters, as such a tree does not stop 



