TASMANIAN TIMBER 
247 
this respect as American elm, although probably, if better 
seasoned before exportation, this trouble would be overcome. 
An excellent section of the wood cut from a log lying about 
on works for a long time was sent to the author and split 
in several lines from outside to heart in a short time. Mr. 
Geo. Dudley, of Hobart, who has used it very much for 
coachbuilding and wheelwrights' work, says that it requires 
special care in seasoning, and in the case of felloes this 
takes about two years. It should be ringed at the ends 
when stored, or it splits there, sometimes very badly. In 
this timber, as with all the eucalypti, it is necessary when 
converting tliat the heart sliould be cut out to the extent 
of 3 or 4 inches. This tree is evidently a similar species 
to one of the same name in several of the Australian 
colonies, but it grows to a much larger size in Tasmania, 
and the official publication says it "must not be con- 
founded with some of those similarly named growing in the 
mainland States." 
It is a remarkably sound, clean timber; one can see logs 
over 60 ft. long without a knot. Ifc is largely used in the 
colony for sleepers, railway wagon work, and wheelwrights' 
work, and has been used to a small extent in Great Britain 
for street paving, but has not been found so satisfactory for 
this purpose as jarrah. In transverse and tensile strength 
blue gum compares very favourably with jarrah and karri, 
but can be obtained in longer lengths than either of these 
timbers, and in this respect will command a good market. 
The appearance of the fibres after fracture in cross bending 
tests are very similar to karri and jarrah under the same 
conditions. A 9 inches X 9 inches sawn blue gum log 10 ft. 
between the supports was tested by Messrs. David Kirkaldy 
& Son and stood an ultimate bending stress of 17"6 tons 
with the load in tbe centre — it failed by the top side com- 
pressing, cracked at 3 inches deflection, but bent to 5 incbes ; 
