and it is expected that many interesting new trees will be discovered there. The 

 South-West is the region in which are found the great forests upon which the 

 State's reputation as a producer of the highest class of timber depends. The col- 

 oured map at the end of this booklet shows the areas occupied by the main tim- 

 bers. It must be understood, however, that in any area coloured as being occu- 

 pied, by a certain class, other trees of different classes are also found. Jarrah, for 

 instance, exists in abundance in the region coloured pink; it is there the dominant 

 tree, and for miles, with the exception of Main, no other kind of tree is to be 

 found. But in other parts other trees occur, mostly in single specimens or in small 

 groups, and more especially is this the case towards the outer limits of the jarrah 

 area. And jarrah itself is not absolutely confined to the area, marked as its own; 

 scattered specimens are found for Jong distances outside that area. The same is 

 true in a lesser degree of karri, wandoo, and some other eucalpyts. Tuart, on the 

 other hand, confines itself strictly to the region marked as its own — that is the long 

 narrow limestone ridge near the coast extending from the neighbourhood of Bus- 

 selton in the South, to about 30 miles north of Perth. Tingle-tingle is very re- 

 stricted in its habitat, not being found outside an area of about 350 square miles 

 in extent, running from the Bow river on the East to the Deep river on the West 

 of Nornalup Inlet. Wandoo is found as a fringe all round the prime jarrah belt 

 and to the eastward of it in single trees or clumps. At Clackline on alienated land 

 there are considerable stretches of wandoo, sufficiently dense to deserve recogni- 

 tion as a prime wandoo forest. Salmon gum and gimlet are spread over a wide 

 area, particularly in the Eastern Districts and on the goldfields, and she-oak is 

 confined to the jarrah belt and gives place to karri oak in the karri belt. It is not 

 usual in Western Australia to apply the term "forest" to trees other than jarrah, 

 karri and tuart; the other eucalypts, as well as the casuarinas, acacias, banksia, 

 etc., not occurring in masses large enough and dense enough to render the term 

 applicable. 



SHORT DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL TREES OF WESTERN 

 AUSTRALIA AND THEIR USES. 



Most of the trees in the Western Australian forests are distinctive; that is, 

 each has a character of its own, differentiating it in appearance from the others, 

 so that once anyone has seen it it is not difficult again to recognise and name it. 

 There are others which, in many respects so far as the uninitiated are concerned, 

 resemble each other and can only be readily identified after some practical bush 

 knowledge has been gained. Identification from the scientific point of view is 

 (mite another affair. The scientist is not prepared to admit that, because trees 

 look very much alike, therefore they belong to the same family and are identical. 

 The botanist has methods of determining trees which leave no room for doubt. 

 The trunk of a tree to all outside appearance may be precisely similar to one 

 standing some yards off. Its branches may appear to be the same also, as well as 

 the bark, but any doubt on the question can be instantly set at rest by an exaim 

 ination of the flowers, fruit and leaves. It is they that tell the true story of the 

 tree, and the story they tell is one that never goes astray. But it is not possible 

 without a considerable amount of scientfic training to undertake, or to understand 

 for that matter, the botanical enquiries Avhich are necessary. Most people in the 

 bush identify trees by an experience born of a longer or shorter period, and in the 

 vast majority of cases such people correctly name the trees. It would be beyond 

 the scope of this publication to deal with the question from the botanist's point 

 of view. The most that can be done is by short descriptive matter and by illus- 

 trations. 



