49 
i 
Specifications for this work are as follows : Ringbarking useless and over-matured trees that 
cannot be disposed of in any other way ; thinning out useless and crooked saplings and seedlings to such 
distances, as in the opinion of the District Forester, is considered advisable ; and burning off of thinnings 
and inflammable debris. 
Management. 
^ 
The object of management is to provide for a continuous supply of matured red gum timber for all 
tim,e. 
The demand for this timber must increase ; while existing sources of supply in Victoria are becoming 
exhausted. 
In addition to the requirements of Public Works in the State of Victoria, this district will be drawn 
upon to supply a vast area of timberless country in the South-west of this State for building, fencing, 
railways, and probably timber for culverts, weirs and water channels. There is also likely to be an increased 
demand for piles and beams. This is the most profitable timber to produce, but the demand so far is 
limited. Under a proper system of management we can always supply the demand ; chiefly by removing 
the piles from the thickest, growth, and still have a good stand of milling timber. The removal of a few 
piles is often of considerable benefit to the remaining timber where the object is to provide matured timber 
of first-class quality. 
In the past, sawmillers have left many trees because of some defect or fault which reduced their 
percentage of first-class timber, ar.d under the existing circumstances they could not be profitably 
handled. A large percentage of these trees are now over-matured, and in order to make room for a new 
crop they should now be removed. The Department proposes to encourage sawmillers to remove them, 
either by a special royalty or by making a liberal allowance for faults. When this is done remaining over- 
matured trees containing timber of any commercial value will be worked up by direct conversion; useless 
trees ringbarked ; and the areas closed for a definite period, except for specially marked pile and pole timber 
and for dead wood. 
Hereunder is appended particulars of the revenue collected from the Murray Forests for the past 
seven years . 
s. d. 
1910 13,425 8 6 
1911 15,916 13 11 
1912 10,400 19 2 
1913 14,478 15 5 
1914 14,031 2 7 
1915 9,369 17 3 
1916 7,007 2 1 
Total Revenue ... ... 84,629 18 11 
Red Gum Forests of Victoria. The late Mr. (Dr.) A. W. Howitt, who was deputed 
to inspect these forests in 1895, favoured me with a copy of the following hitherto 
unprinted valuable report : 
Ringbarking has also been generally done on purchased and selected land. Much timber has been 
cut for various purposes so that at the present time the available Red Gum timber is restricted in area and 
in amount. The only State Forest Timber Reserve with'Red Gum is, so far as I know, a small area near 
Bairnsdale. 
To the north of the Dividing Range the principal Red Gum areas are in the River Murray at 
Barmah and Yieliana, above and at Gunbower below Echuca. 
In the former there are 61,500 acres and in the latter 70,000 acres. 
