Dec. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
375 
treated with lime water or potash, the deception 
will be complete. Blackwood is pushiug itself for- 
ward on its own merits, bat it has to tight against 
a good deal of the prejudice which is shown to 
colonial timbers, largely caused by unseasoned tim- 
ber having so often been supplied. The similarities 
of waiuut and blackwood are not confined to outward 
appearance, for their properities appear much the 
same. Hence a kuowledge of the many uses to which 
the former timber is put is useful as a guide to 
the capabilities of our blackwood. A good deal of 
it possesses a " broken grain " and satiny lustre I 
which are exceedingly ornamental. Nothing in my I 
opinion, resembles the figure of picked samples so 
strongly as the South African mineral crocidolite, 
which, as is well known, has a characteristic and 
beautiful appearance. The figured wood is cut 
into veneers, it takes a fine polish. It is an excel- 
lent wood for bending under steam. It requires fair 
play in the matter of seasoning, and will well repay 
any reasonable care expended on it. A drawback 
to this valuable timber is ttiat it does not take the 
glue as well as many others. Rosewood behaves 
similarly to glue. I do not know the reason of this; 
it may be from the presence of oil-cells. It was 
largely used for oil-casks, chiefly for the Hobart 
whaling trade. The lightwood was chiefly used for 
this purpose. As regards its use for wine casks, Mr. 
Thomas Hardy, of Adelaide, has pointed out that 
this timber is open to the objection that it leaks 
through t e pores when sawn, but it is tight when 
split on the quarter. As a charcoal wood, its char- 
coal burns with intense heat, but almost as fast 
without blowing as it does with, which is of course 
objected to by blacksmiths. Blackwood is not proof 
against white ants. Its specific gravity, according 
to Baron von Mue let, is from 664 to '777, i.e., the 
weight ot a cubic foot of the dry timber varies 
between 41 and 38 lb. Mr. Gamble gives the weight 
pet cubic foot of an Indian grown specimen at 36 
ID., and states that it was cut from a tree twenty 
years old, and 90 feet high, which gave a blank 2 
feet broad; but in India it appears to lack density 
and deteriorates in value. It is a wood much appre- 
ciated by the Victorian b acks. For instance, the 
Yarra blacks used to make their mulgas or club- 
shields of it, their throwing sticks (for propelling 
spears), and their "Jil lil," a curved fighting weapon 
with a knob. Followii g is a report by Mr. Alien 
Kansonie on some samples of this timber sent from 
Victoria to the Colonial and In ian Exhibition: — 
"Samples of both old and young trees were sent for 
trial. The former were made into join rs' specimens, 
the latter into casks. The figu e of the oid-growth 
wood is very fine, and the surrace left by the cutters 
wa3 all that could be desired. The casks proved a 
complete success. The wood has already been im- 
ported into hiUgland in suiill quantities, and sold 
at prices from 2s. to 3s. per cubic foot." I quote 
description;) of Tasnianiau wood iy the sime autho- 
rity, as, since we look forward to an increasing 
trade in colonial timbers with the United Kingdom 
and the Continent of Europe, a report by a well- 
known English expert has peculiar value. 
'• Blackioood. — A soun 1, mild working timber of a 
brownish colour, closely striped with streaks of vari- 
ous shades of redd;sh-brown, and frequently crossed 
by diago.ml marks i f a light golden colour. The more 
ornamental logs of this wood are exceedingly beauti- 
ful, and should fetch a high price 111 this (London) 
market, where they could be used to advantage in 
place of the best Honduras mahogany, while the less 
ornamental logs would serve for the higher class of 
joinery work, such as counter and shop fittings. 
The younger giowth is well suited for cooperage work 
ai.d a barrel made from one of the pieces sub- 
mitted fo trial, befoi.j being artificially seasoned, 
id still quite tight, and shows no sign of shrinkage. 
" Lightwood. — '■ This is an inferior description of 
blackwood. iiom which it differs mainly in being of 
a lighter colour, aud having a somewhat more open 
grain. Although it will not compote witii the black- 
wood for hignly ornamental cabinet work, it can 
be u»jd in the place of cheap mahogany for ward- 
robe backs aud other simiiar work." 
It will be observed that most of the reports on 
the uti ity of this timber refer to Tasmanian and 
Victorian wood. This is because the occurrence of 
blackwood in the New South Wales is known to 
very few people, whereas, as is stated in the proper 
place, it is very widely distributed in this Colony, 
alth ugh usually looked upon as some other timber. 
In sending a New South Wales specimen for identi- 
fication, Mr. Van We nen, of Gunnendah, writes to 
the Department: — -"It is only lately that it has been 
brought to the saw-mills at ISoggabri, and the sawyers 
do not know it. It grows in this di trict, and is 
being used by coachmakers and cabinet-makers, who 
speak very highly f it." Neither do the saw-millers 
m the Richmond River diatiict know anything about 
it. There it is chiefly cedar, pine, hardw ;od, the 
changes being rung on these three indefinitely. 
Beyond these, little is locally known of colonial 
timbers. Strange t) say, that while the timber is 
highly spoken of in the southern localities of New 
South Wales I have mentioned bel w it is hardly 
ever used. Now this does not indicate that it 
is of little value, as some cynics who delight to 
sneer at native timbers infer, but simply that the 
public in the district are not yet alive to its valu-, 
and shippers are ignorant of its occurrence in the 
particular loca'ity. In a sparsely populated distiict 
the local demand f r even a popular timber will 
be readily satisfied, but when we consider the cause 
of a little known timber, users are timid about 
giving an order for something of whosa value they 
are at present ignorant. Still, even in ths sjuthern 
districts it is worked up to some extent, and it 
only requires that our peoile shall be informed that 
they have growing near them the true blackwood 
for them to use it a good deal more. I know of 
a Braidwood tradesman who has made, f.r many 
years, articles of the local blackwood. His work ha§ 
a deservedly goo I r putation, a id he does not make 
chests of drawers, secretaires, plate-chests, <frc, out 
of a timber cf whose value he has any doubt. I 
know of another tradesman at Delegate who used 
t ) make beautiful gun-stccks of it. The price he 
gets for his gun stock is so h : gh that I am afraid 
to mention it, as everybody may turn to gun-stock 
making. Anothe.- tradesman uses it for buggy naves. 
He from tinn to time goes out and cuts d wn a 
fair-sized tree, lets it season outside in the log, 
and cuts length by length off as he wants it. 
The manufacture of gun-stocks from this timber 
is a very old industry, particularly in Tasmania. 
I find that in the season 1844-5 that 430 gun-stocks 
were exported from Launceston to Gieat Britaiu. 
* * » » 
Size. — In the south rn mountain districts, there 
are many t ees 70 or 80 feet in height, with a 
s em diameter of 2 or three feet The Mudgerabah 
which may be taken as a type of the northern New 
South Wal-s firm, is usually 40 to 50 feet high, and 
also has a diameter of 2 or 3 feet. In Tasmania and 
Victoria, it is as large and larger ihan those in the 
southern mountain districts of New South Wales. 
* # * * 
Propagation. — From seed, which is readily purchas- 
able. I recommend this valuable tree to be conserved 
and plan ed in the cooler, moist districts of the Co- 
lony, i. e., in the coastal and dividing-ranges and 
table lands. It is also a shady, ornameutal tree, and 
hence is ofte 1 cultivated in Sydney gardens. With 
m?, it has grown 20 f et high in three years— healthv, 
thick fo'iaged trees. This tree has been extf-nsiveiy 
cultivated in Madras for revenue purpos s, but the wood 
has been found to poss ss the e few qualities priz d 
by the cabinet-maker and builder. It warps after 
many months of seasoning, is not easily worked, and 
is not as durabR as other timber accessible to the 
residents of the hill stations. Tneslowmss of growth 
is much a:ainst the tre •, and where it has be.n 
tried, in two instances, as an avenm tree, it has 
pro-ed a failure. It is liable to attacks from a 
mistletoe. As a fuel tree it is not prized so highly 
bs .1. dealbata (Silver Wattle). The blackwood °wag 
introduced on the Nilgiris in 1810, and is now con>. 
plete'y naturalised. It it also being grown on the 
