139 
/ 
become more and more strongly illuminating, and in fact an 
arrangement had been used for the purpose of illuminating 
part of the works, in one case I knew of, but it only 
answered during the last few hours of the process. 
“Analyses of the Ash of Wood of two varieties of the 
* Eucalyptus’ tree,” by Watson Smith, F.C.S., F.I.C., De- 
monstrator and Assistant Lecturer in the Owens College. 
During Easter, 1877, Jas. Young, Esq, LL.D., F.RS., 
suggested to me that I should make analyses of the ash of 
the two varieties of eucalyptus, viz. E. rostrata and E. globu- 
lus, commonly known as red and blue gum trees. The pieces 
of wood I was supplied with by Dr. Young. They appeared 
to be stout branches, “ crop-wood,” and had the bark still 
on. The wood of E. rostrata (“ red gum”) was evidently 
closer and denser in texture than that of the “ blue gum” or 
E. globulus. Its bark was also thinner and smoother. I 
took the samples of the wood to a joiner in Zurich, and 
requested him to plane them down to thin shavings, with 
the exception of a transverse section of each variety, to be 
reserved for specific gravity determinations. I requested 
him also to notice any peculiarities he might notice in the 
wood and report them, with his opinion of their quality. 
On calling subsequently, I noticed on entering the shop the 
odour of the gum or essential oil peculiar to the tree. The 
whole shop was fragrant with it. On planing the wood to 
shavings, this odour is quickly diffused around. The joiner 
stated it as his opinion that the wood of the “ red gum” va- 
riety, especially, was extremely hard. It had quite turned 
the edge of his plane. The timber of such a tree, he said, 
would be of great value. The wood of the “ blue gum” tree 
was a little behind in point of hardness and solidity. De- 
terminations were now made of the specific gravity of these 
woods in what may be termed the air-dried condition. 
