ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 31 



The red cedar forests are situated principally on the northern 

 rivers, such as the Clarence, Richmond, Tweed, Bellenger and 

 the Maclay. At the Gosford Nursery there is a stock this year 

 of over 700,000 young plants, of which the principal are red 

 cedars, Pinus insignis, Pinus halepensis, English oaks, poplars, 

 olives, the most important of the Eucalypts of all the Colonies 

 and the American Catalpa. 



Some fifty men are now employed by the Department in thinn- 

 ing the natural red gum forests upon the Murray Flats. It is 

 intended to plant experimental plantations this winter at Broken 

 Hill and Wilcannia with the tree known as the Sugar Gum 

 (Eucalyptus corynxalyx). The growing of timber for the mines 

 is a matter of great importance. The sugar gum has been succes- 

 fully established in several parts of South Australia in similar 

 soil and situations to those mentioned. Strong efforts are being- 

 made to induce not only our cabinet makers, but those in Europe 

 as well, to try our scrub timbers for the making of furniture. 

 Amongst the timbers recommended are the following : red cedar, 

 tulip-wood, rose- wood, bean, onion- wood, beech, ash, she-oak, 

 black-wood, marble-wood, satin-wood, cork-wood, nut tree, rough 

 fig, myall, beef-wood, myrtle, and yellow-wood. 



For buildings and general construction work the following- 

 indigenous timbers are also being brought before the market : — - 

 iron-bark, mountain ash, red gum, blood- wood, stringy-bark, black- 

 butt, tallow-wood, spotted gum, box, various kinds, and mahogany. 



A Forest Bill is now in course of being drafted, under which 

 the necessary powers will be given to the Department, whereby 

 increased and more satisfactory results will accrue. The Depart- 

 ment is now bringing out an illustrated book upon " The Forest 

 Flora of New South Wales." The work of lithographing the 

 plates is being done by the Government Printer, and it is expected 

 that the first part will be published about the end of June next. 



Botany. — In connection with the subject of agriculture and 

 forestry, I may briefly refer to botany. During the past year 



