564 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1889. 
ing, having been used in the Dutch times as a Court- 
house and a resthouse. It is still called by the native 
Sinhalese the tanayama. It is like all Dutch build- 
ings a substantially built house. We passed the paddy- 
fields on which the experiments in cultivation are 
being made on our way to the bungalow, and were 
greatly pleased to see the striking difference between 
them and the fields surrounding them. In about a 
fortnight's time the crop will be ready for reaping. 
It is thus somewhat late, as the surroanding crops 
are already being reaped. Both in the fields sown 
broadcast and in those which were planted out, the 
plants looked a good deal more hardy and vigorous, 
and the yield promises to be much greater than in 
the surrounding fields. We shall look with interest 
to the report of the teacher (Mr. Samaranayaka), 
which will doubtless be furnished as soon as the crop 
is secured. We understand that Mr. Samaranayaka 
will shortly be removed to another station, the work 
in this place having been doDe. The dal trees appeared 
to be about twelve or fifteen feet high in only 
eight months' time, and were already in bearing. 
The native name for it is parupu, and we believe it 
will succeed very well in this Province. About the 
arrowroot we are not competent to pronounce any 
opinion, but from what we saw we think that it too 
might be grown successfully on good soil. There is 
another experimental garden much closer to Galle, 
at Dangedara. This we have not yet seen. The 
teacher, Mr. Hoole, has just been transferred to the 
Rev. S. Langdon's Industrial School at Bandarawela. 
We hail with delight these agricultural experiments. 
As to their ultimate success in inoculating true ideas 
into the conservative Sinhalese villager, we have no 
doubt. We trust all district Mudaliyars will aid the 
Government in making the people under their charge 
adopt all such new methods as can be safely and 
inexpensively adopted. 
JARRAH AND IRONBARK TREES: 
SOME OF THE LEADING TIMBER TREES OF 
AUSTRALIA, SUITABLE FOR CULTIVATION 
IN CEYLON. 
A correspondent writes as follows: — 
Kotagala, 25th Jan. 1889. 
To the Editor, 
Dear Sie, — Can you kindly inform me whether 
the "Ironbark" gum and " Jarrah" trees of Australia 
are identical ? If not whether there is any essential 
difference in the value and usefulness of their res- 
pective timbers. N. 
To which we reply that the trees are not identical. 
The jarrah (E. marginata) stands alone as the 
acknowledged king of the one hundred and fifty 
or so species of the Eucalypti. Only one species 
(which specially abounds in Western Australia*) 
is ever spoken of as jarrah or Australian maho- 
gany, whereas the settlers use the term " ironbark" 
for several species, distinguished for their rough 
exteriors protecting stems of specially fine timber. 
The species of roughest bark and best pretensions 
to the name of ironbark is Eucalyptus leucoxylon, 
common in several of the colonies. But, on a par 
with it as regards excellence of timber is the New 
South Wales ironbark, Eucalyptus sidcrophloia. 
* The jarrah grows among ironstone in Western 
Amtralia, ho thickly utrown that the country looks 
hh if covered with " slag " from an iron furnace. 
While jarrah, for size, beauty and utility of timber 
is generally ranked first of the Australian trees, 
ironbark competes with it in many respects and is 
superior in some. Both are valuable for ship- 
building, etty piles, cart and carriage builing, for 
house-building, for nearly every purpose in truth 
to which good, strong, lasting timber can be put. 
The two timbers when subjected to breaking strain 
compared thus : — Jarrah, average breaking weight 
726 lb.; average specific strength 1,982. The aver- 
age weight per cubic foot (seasoned for at least 
12 months) was 54-36 lb. In breaking weight the 
ironbark, species E. leucoxylon, proved far superior 
to jarrah, having resisted up to 951-67 lb., while 
its average specific strength was rated at 2,598. 
A specimen tested by Baron von Mueller, indeed, 
showed so high an average specific strength as 
3,063. Three specimens of the New South Wales 
ironbark, E. sideropMoia, showed an average 
breaking weight still higher, up to 1,045 '6 lb. 
and an average specific strength of 2,854. 
The average weight per cubic foot was 71-50 lb. 
Close up to the very highest figure for the strength 
of ironbark comes the Australian tree most 
commonly cultivated in Ceylon, the blue gum, 
Eucalyptus globulus. Its average specific strength, 
in the case of two specimens, was found to be 
3,036 ; the average breaking weight being 1,112-1 lb. ; 
and the weight per cubic foot 65-18. It is clear, 
therefore, that no stronger timber can be used than 
mature (say 15 to 20 years old) and well seasoned 
blue gum. Its tendency to crack and warp in 
seasoning seems to be overcome in Australia and 
so, it doubtless can be here. Moulmein teak was 
nowhere when compared in strength and weight 
with blue gum. The figures for teak were average 
specific strength 1,946 ; average breaking weight 
713-1; weight per cubic foot 37'54. There are 
other qualities than mere strength and specific 
gravity, however, which place jarrah and teak in 
the forefront of timbers, with oak and mahogany. 
But " transverse strength" is a very important 
factor in the relative value of timbers, and judged 
by this test we find that the very first place in 
a careful set of experiments is occupied by the 
timber of the wattle (acacia) indicated by the Aus- 
tralians with the contradictory names of "black 
wood" and "light wood," the heart wood being 
really black and almost as dense as ebony. Like 
all the acacias introduced from Australia to Ceylon, 
the one in question (A. melanoxylon) sends up 
shoots from its roots, so that a few trees planted 
soon become a grove, which can be periodically 
thinned, the best trees being left for timber, the 
transverse strength of which is represented by 
1,236 lb. That is, the samples in this and all 
other cases quoted below were 7 feet in length by 
lg inches square; the distance between the bear- 
ings was 6 feet ; and the weight was gradually 
applied in the centre till the samples broke. No 
wonder if the timber which in this trial resisted 
up to 1,236 lb. is by the Australians reckoned one 
of their best, or that the tree is spared when all 
others are destroyed in converting woodland into 
pasturage. Blue gum comes next, and is first of 
all the Eucalypti, having resisted up to 1,201 lb. 
"Ironbark" came third with 1,174 1b. " Gum top 
stringy bark" broke at 8761b. and jarrah at 829-7 lb. 
We have given ihe highest figures in each case, 
for different specimens gave different results. Blue 
gum and iron bark are largely used in the con- 
struction of Australian railway rolling stock, and 
from experiments made by the Victorian railway 
authorities so lately as 1887, we are able to quot 
some interesting facts. Red gum and iron bar 
sleepers in the ground from 1864 to 1886 an 
"Box" sleepers 1862 to 1886, were taken out " 
