80 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, 1902. 
of a timber of one uniform quality. We have other 
trees yielding timber of quality equal and even 
Boperior to these two, but because they are more 
scattered in distribution, there is always some lia- 
bility to admixture with other timbers. 
The forest red gum is botanically closely related 
to the Murray red gum ; in fact, in their extreme 
forms the species run into each other ; but, as a 
general rule, while the Murray red gum frequents 
river banks and flats, the forest red gum generally 
(but by no means always) prefers dry, open forests. 
Its durability is superior to that of Murray red gum, 
many experts always selecting it in preference to the 
latter when both are available. This preference of 
forest red gum is another instance of the general 
truth of the observation that the best timbers grow 
in dry or, at least, well drained localities. 
The Sydney blue gum may be so called to dis- 
tinguish it from the pale-coloured blue gnm (H. 
globulus, Labill.) of Tasmania and Victoria. It, how- 
ever, occurs in both north and south Coast forests, 
preferably on rich damp laud or flats. In this 
respect it is similar to Murray red gum. It forms 
magnificent stra'ght trunks, is extensively used, being 
one of the best of our timbers where durability is 
required. It is much sought after for felloes of wheels. 
Woolybutt, found in the south Coast forests, is the 
least known of the group. Yet, although not of the 
first-class on account of deficient tensile strength, it 
is undoubtedly a durable and generally useful timber. 
A good many people use it without knowing what 
it is, but it can stand on ita merits, I think. Its 
bark is sub-fibrous, and its timber is not unlike red 
ironbavk. 
I have omitted a few of our Eucalyptus hardwoods 
that I might have included, but time does not 
permit of the inclusion of a complete list. 
Turpentine andBrush 5ox.— Turpentine and brush box 
are useful hardwoods, and both occur in the coastal for- 
ests, the former from the Shoalhaven to the Tweed, and 
the latter in the northern forests from Port Stephens 
northwards, usually in brushes, but often in open 
forests. Turpentine is botanically known g,s Syncarpia 
laurifolia, Ten. ; and brush box is Tristania conferta, 
E. Br. Though not Bucalypts, they are closely re- 
lated thereto. Turpentine is so called because of the 
peculiar oleo-reain it exudes; it forms magnificent 
straight trees in deep gullies, and is, perhaps, the 
most generally useful of our timbers resistant to 
marine borers, hence its very extensive use for piles 
in harbour works. It also has the great merit of 
beinf almost uninflammable, and hence is sometimes 
used°for beams in buildiugs. Brush box is a durable 
timber, obnoxious to white-ants ; it has other merits, 
and in' spite of its tendency to warp, it should be 
more largely employed than it is at present. It is 
one of the most beautiful of our trees, and is often 
seen in gardens and boulevards under the name of 
Lophostemon." 
Cedar, Beech and Hoop Pine.— These valuable timbers 
I must 'dismiss in a few words. They are chiefly 
found in the area marked blue on the map, as already 
indicated, though cedar is found in patches in 
mountain fastnesses in a latitude as far south as 
Sydney. Ked cedar (Cedrela australis, P. v. M.) is one 
of our few deciduous trees, and is a denizen of rich 
brush forests. The timber takes the same place here 
that the West Indian mahogany does in Europe; 
our cedar being, however, much lighter in weight. 
Closely allied to it and substituted for it to some 
extent, are Kosewood {Di/jioxiflon Fraseriamm., Bcnth. 
and red bean {D. Muelkri, Benth.), valuable timbers, 
though less esteemed than red cedar. White beech 
[Giiielina Leickhardtii F. v. M.) -is another instance 
of a handsome tree yielding a valuable timber. It is 
of a pale colour, durable, does not shrink much, 
and is one of the best carviiig timbers we have. 
It is the most esteemed of a number of brush timbers 
of the same class, of which flindosa or cudgerie 
iFUndtrsia australi3,B.. Bv.) is one of the most im- 
portant. Hoop pine, or white pine, or Colonial pine, 
or Richmond pine, are all names for the timber of 
Araucaria Ounninghamii, Ait., which occurs in brush 
lands at the heads of our northern rivers. Araucariae 
form remarkable looking trees in the forest with their 
branches in whorls and their conical habit. They are 
more often planted for ornamental purposes than for 
timber. The hoop pine is our most abunlant soft wood 
of the pine class, and is a iTseful timber, particularly 
in a country whose predominant vegetation is hard- 
wood, yet it falls far short of the best soft woods 
of the Baltic and the Pacific Slope. 
Cypress pine covers extensive tracts in the drier 
pastoral districts, and ia chiefly confined to the 
western and southern plains and tablelands. It ia 
usually more oi less admixed with box of various 
kinds, althouijh there are large areas entirely covered 
with pine. The cypress pice area has been already 
indicated on the map, and the pines therein consist 
mainly of two species, Murray or white pine (CaUitris 
verrucosa, K. Br.) and red or black pine {CaUitris cal- 
carata, R. Br.). Other species extend to the Coast 
ranges and tablelands forming for example, dense 
forests in New Eugland gullies), and even to the 
Coast, the beautiful cypress pine of Port Jackson 
being a case in point. Cypress pines are beautiful 
trees, and yield valuable timber in the arid districts 
in which they grow. Such timber is usually highly 
ornamental, even garish, in figure and colouring. 
Its chief merit is its resistance to white-ants, which 
enables it to be used for telegraph and fence-posts, 
in country infested with those insects and carrying 
but little other timber. It is also commonly used for 
house construction, and stands well. It is full of 
aromatic resin, and hence burns readily, diffusing 
a sweet fragrance. The attention of the forester 
has, during recent years, been a good deal devoted to 
thinning areas of cypress pine, work which will 
afford the State an adequate return if it be carried 
out under experienced direction and on business 
principles. Residents of the Coast districts do not 
readily realise what the conseravtion of our cypress 
pine forests means to the arid western districts 
which do not possess the abundant and comparativt ly 
accessible forests of the Coast belt. Cypress pines 
are small or medium-sized trees, co.upact and shapely 
in habit, and quite different in appearance to the hoop 
pine. They grow readily (too readily many people 
think) from seed, and are well worthy the attention 
of those who desire to cultivate the most horticul- 
turally desirable of our native plants. 
Miscellaneous. — I have ouly time on this occasion 
to mention by name brown pine {Podocarpus elata, 
R. Br.) of our northern forests; the silky oaks {Gre- 
villea robusta, A. Cunn., and Orites excelsa, Br.) 
of our northern rivers and tablelands ; the black bean 
(Oastanospermum australe, A Cunn.), from the Clarence 
to the Tweed ; the tulip wood {Harpullia penduala 
Planch.) of the northern brushes ; the myall (Acacia 
pendida, A. Cunn., of our western plains) ; the she-oaks 
(Casuarina) distributed practically all over New 
South Wales. —Indian Forester. 
« 
A RUBBER PLANTATION IN GUA- 
TEMALA. 
The large specimen of crude rubber shown at the 
entrance to the Guatemala pavilion at the Paris Ex- 
positon of 1900, and for which a' good medal was 
awarded, was pioduced from cultivated trees (Castilloa 
elastica) on the hacienda "El Baul," in Guatemala, on 
the Pacific slope. This plantation was specially men- 
tioned by Dr. Paul Preuss, in reporting on his ex- 
pedition to Central and South America, under the 
auspices of the German colonial committee. It has 
more recently been referred to at length— because 
of its size, of the care taken in the extraction of 
rubber, and of the good quality produced— in the 
Journal d' Agriculture Tropicale (Paris), from which 
the details that follow have mainly been derived. 
