THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



THE TIMBER OF TASMANIA.— BLUE GUM. 



BY DR. MILLIGAN. 



The Royal Society of Tasmania lately submitted to its members a 

 paper " On the Commercial Value of Tasmanian Timber as respects the 

 English Market." Effectual means have recently been taken by the 

 Colonists to bring under the notice of European engineers the hard -woods 

 of Tasmania. Dr. Milligan, the late Secretary of the Royal Society, has 

 done much to bring the colonial woods into notice ; and we think we shall 

 be doing good service in making public some of his details respecting the 

 Blue Gum especially, on which we believe a paper is to be read during 

 the present session before the Society of Arts. 



Tasmania abounds with forests of timber almost unlimited in extent, and 

 of a quality equal, if not superior, to any other hard wood in the world. 

 Its strength and durability have been frequently tested. It.has been pro- 

 nounced by scientific men to be unsurpassed in these qualities by any other 

 timber of which we have any knowledge. Amongst our trees there are the 

 blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), the stringy bark (Eucalyptus gigantea), and 

 the peppermint (Eucalyptus amygdalina). These timbers, from their superior 

 quality, have attracted considerable attention ; but, unfortunately for us, 

 that attention has not been secured in the right quarters. Very many years 

 ago Sir John Franklin brought the subject under the notice of the British 

 Government, and strongly recommended that our timber should be em- 

 ployed for naval purposes. Since then, Sir William Denison has, by scien- 

 tific tests and by experiments, confirmed the favourable opinions expressed 

 by Sir John Franklin regarding its valuable properties ; and we believe 

 Sir Henry Young has also represented its usefulness to the Admiralty. 

 That the peculiarities of our timber remain at the present moment compara- 

 tively unknown and unappreciated, is the best evidence we could have that 

 other steps than these must be taken if we wish to secure those advantages 

 which our forests are capable of conferring upon us. The reputation of our 

 hard wood has been hitherto strictly confined to the Australian colonies. 



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