56 J. H. MAIDEN. 
stants, what a boon it would be! No, we must approach this 
subject, the importance of which is still of such magnitude to New 
South Wales, that outsiders can scarcely understand, in another 
way. We must consider the tree as a living organism, and give 
some attention to the physiology of tree-growth. 
The first thing is to ascertain when the sap is “up” (to use a 
rather loose phrase the meaning of which is, however, well under- 
stood), evidence of which is shown by the facility with which the. 
bark strips, and also by the formation of leaves, to be noted at a 
distance by their greater greenness. (In Australia we have of 
course mainly to deal with non-deciduous trees, but nevertheless 
"it is usually an easy matter for a careful observer to note the 
extent to which the formation of a new growth of leaves has 
extended, or whether the tree is at rest). For an account of the 
physiology of the processes connected with sap-movement I must 
refer to the text-beoks. But I may remind you that starch is 
contained in the sap of trees, or a substance from which starch is 
obtained. This starch is separated from the sap and is stored up, 
during the period of active growth, in the wood, and especially in 
the root wood, ready for the formation of buds, (usually leaf-buds), 
which buds usually burst in the spring, but the season of bursting 
forth is exceedingly variable in this colony with various trees, a8 
T have already hinted. Every forester, every man concerned in | 
the procuring of timber, and every pastoralist, should make and 
preserve records of the periods of “ flushes ” of leaves on each of 
the various kinds of trees in his own district. 
Now many trees, if the bark be injured, or ringbarked, have 
the power of developing the latent buds which exist under the _ 
bark, which buds are developed by means of the store of starchy — 
matter which we have already referred to as existing in the root- 
wood (and in the stump). In other words we have “suckers,” 
those curses of the forester and pastoralist. If information be 
desired as to the relative degrees of suckering of our forest trees 
attention may be invited to an article’ dealing with the subject. 
‘“* Notes on Ringbarking and Sapping,” noes on foresters’ reports): 
siete Gazette of N.S.W., v., 14, (January 1894). 
