207 
JARRAH. 
(Eucalyptus marginata, Sm.) 
This is without ike the principa! timber tree in the Western 
Australi forests. It is predominant above all others in its extent 
of forest, the various a to whieh it is or can be applied, the 
part which it is now taking in the des vod export of the 
Colony, and the esteem in which it is held in the country. 
Jarrah and Western Australia are aliod s syHofynichs words, and, 
as this has been the case from the earliest days of the foundation 
of the Colony, so it will remain as ne as a Jarrah forest exists. 
lea 
emphasise the fact that Jarrah is the mm iis eie timber 
of this part of the Australian Contin There are other timbers 
in our forests which are equally. if dd more, pores for peers 
wn special purposes, but for general constructive works, neces- 
ee Salnt with soil and water, the timber of this tree Bands 
foremost. 
au specific name (marginata) refers to the thickened margin 
of the leaves, and the vernacular is the name given to the species 
by the aborigines. In some districts the tree is known to the 
settlers as the * mahogany gum 
Taken as a whole, there is ei particularly picturesque 
about the appearance of a Jarrah tree or 
general eftect of the species edi masse is dull, sombr d u 
interesting tothe eye. Except in special spots and localities, ai 
trees are rugged and decidedly inclined to be straggling and 
bran nchy. In this respect they differ very materially from the 
Karri, which is almost invariably a fine straight tree and com- 
paratively free from branches except at the top. In general 
colonies as the “stringy-bark.” Its likeness to the species of 
Eucalyptus so-called is very marked. The bark is persistent, 
fibrous, and of a dark grey vie although more deeply indented 
in its longitudinal furrows than a true stringy-bark. 
It is not uncommon to find considerable areas of Jarrah forest 
where many of the matured trees attain heights of from 90 feet 
to 120 feet, with good stems 3 feet to 5 feet in diameter, and 
50 feet to 60 ace to the first branch. Such > would be 
described as first-class Jarrah forest. Taking verage, how 
ever, of ia fures, I think a Jarrah tree SER a BOUE healthy 
stamp, and one representing a fair specimen of its kind, would run 
about 90 feet to 100 feet in height, and from 24 feet to 34 feet in 
diameter at the base. Under such conditons and in fairly 
favourable situations, trees of this size might be expected to 
sound and convertible into good marketable timber without much 
waste. Of course, in places there are individual trees to be met 
with the measurements of which run into figures far in excess of 
those just mentioned, and one or two of these may be cited as 
indicative of the possibilities of the tree as regards size and wealth 
of timber. One, about three miles west of the old * Wellington 
3857 A 2 
