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many timbers, and are largely remediable. J.H.M.] In this respect I have seen the 
white ants go through a house built of mixed timbers and eat every board of this gum 
and ash, and leave stringybark and other timbers untouched. Of course, if any care 
were given* to seasoning, it may prove to be one of our most useful mountain timbers, 
for in this respect it never gets a fair trial. Here a man takes an axe, walks into the 
forest, and cuts down a tree and draws it into the mill one day ; the next day it is sawn 
up, and the following day he will commence to build his house, and if the timber won't 
last him fifty years he will say that it is no good. We do not know its possibilities, if 
properly treated. This is the timber which was tested for paper pulping under the 
name of E. rubida, and, I believe, gave excellent results. 
" A great drawback is the faulty nature of the tree, very subject to dry rot and 
other faults, though I believe much of this may be ascribed to fire injury. You will 
see how this affects them from one of the photos I am sending. I have seen handles 
and oars manufactured from this timber, but they were very inferior for that particular 
purpose. 
" If treated properly and protected from fire it should become a valuable asset, 
as it is not exaggerating to say that there are millions of acres of this timber. 
" This timber is also used considerably now for fruit cases in the Batlow district. 
Most of the houses for the Soldiers' Settlement at Batlow were built from this timber." 
Following are two reports from Mr. J. A. Timms, Forester, Tumberumba : 
" This is locally known as Mountain Gum, and comprises one of the best timbers 
in the district. It grows to a fairly large size, height over 100 feet, with a diameter of 
over 5 feet, many trees containing 3,000 to 4,000 super, feet of timber fit for sawmilling. 
This gum is most plentiful at about the 3,000 feet altitude, and is spread all over the 
mountain country. It grows equally well along sides of gullies and on sides and tops 
of hills. It is considered a good building timber, being very free from gum spots or 
veins. It is extensively used at Laurel Hill factory for short boat oars and hoe, broom 
and pitch-fork handles. In some respects this tree is equal to Mountain Ash 
(E. gigantea), as it has a splendid grain and cuts beautiful timber, which is wonderfully 
free from gum veins. In appearance it somewhat resembles Ash, but is of a pink colour. 
This timber is far superior to the Gum with the round-shaped sucker-leaf (E. rubida), 
which grows throughout the mountains and resembles it so closely that most people 
look upon them as the same tree. ,.^ ... . It is practically the most abundant timber 
to be found in the mountainous parts of the district Tumberumba." (J. A. Timms, 
No. 16, April, 1918.) 
' The timber from apparently the same tree in the higher altitudes (above 
Tumberumba) is almost free from gum, and is extensively used at both Kopsen's and 
G. C. Brown's sawmills. At the former it is used for short boat-oars, &c. ; at the latter 
it is used for flooring, lining and weatherboards, and general building material." 
(Tumberumba, J. A. Timms, No. 17.) 
