TASMANIAN FORESTS: THEIR BOTANY AND ECONOMICAL VALUE. 23 
similar plague used to be ea on the open swampy plains of 
the south-eastern district o Australia, especially on the 
Mosquito Plains. Cattle iteded much from them in the long 
grass, but Be late years they have disappeared. 
The principal use to which the tdinbel: is put is for what is 
called “ sawn stuff,” yet staves, shingles, and palings. The 
shingles are for the most part now e by young girls, and they 
do all the work, even in some instances to the felling of the trees. 
It is —_— rte tree that will suit for the purpose. It must bea 
young tree “spar” as it is here called, and must be very 
sitaight in ‘the grain. This is ascertained by cutting a square 
block out of the side at about 10 or 15 feet from the ground. A 
stout young sapling is first cut down. One with a good strong 
fork is necessary, and thus it is seldom a Eucalypt. It is cut to 
a length of 18 or 20 feet. A deep notch for a foothold is cut 
a lit rer : 
notch. This $ gives a firm nough foo roning to wield the axe. The 
tree is then tried, and if Soni suitable a stage is erected at a 
height of 10 or 12 feet from the infidlace, From this the tree 
i 
cut into mas lengths with, a crosscw aa aw. The bi + ob are again 
split with wedges “into the requisite width, and then by a rapid 
series of blows with a wooden mallet and a shingle knife, the 
shingles are split, two being generally slit with one blow e 
shingle knife is first used as a wedge; the handle, which is at 
knife is worked down. The wet sap of the wood is full of tannin, 
with which the iron of the knife combines to make a deep black 
stain wherever it rests. The poor girls who work at this trade 
have their hands almost permanently stained a deep inky hue. 
Where the useful timber grows the brushwood is always so 
thick that regular tracks have first to be cut to the places. “First 
of all the owners of the different sawmills run out tramways in 
various directions for three or four miles. These tramways are 
of the simplest kind, being nia cross sleepers, on which square 
n rails are pegged down; yet they are rather expensive 
8. m vari 
tracks are cut into the thick scrub. First of 
