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The smooth hark of the Blue Gum is, as a rule, of a bluer cast than that of 
the Blooded Gum, which is white. 
Blue Gum has the rough hark not so far up the stem as Flooded Gum. The 
rough hark of Flooded Gum is like that of rough-harked apple-tree. 
I found plenty of both Blue and Flooded Gum throughout the coast districts, 
and made both examination of the timbers on the spot, and also took evidence. 
Following are excerpts :— 
Plenty of both in the Kempsey district. Excellent for wheelwrights’ 
purposes ; good for wood-blocks. Flooded Gum lighter in colour and weight when 
seasoned than Blue Gum. (Mr. Forester Macdonald.) 
Flooded Gum far inferior to Blue Gum. A valuable timber for inside work, 
but of very low durability for outside work. Valueless for wood-blocks, posts, &c., 
while Blue Gum is valuable for such purposes. (Mr. Sydney Verge, Kempsey.) 
Flooded Gum in small sizes twists and warps. Very tough, yet not hard. 
Excellent for ships’ timbers. (Mr. Mackay, Laurieton.) 
So far we have what is the usually accepted estimate of the comparative 
value .of the two timbers. Now we come to what we saw and heard at Failford. 
Here we had the advantage of the testimony of Mr. J. Breckenridge, a gentleman 
of many years' experience of colonial timber, and a resident of the district for nearly 
forty years, lie stated :—“Flooded Gum is tougher to fell than Blue Gum. Both 
the rough-barked portion and the smooth-harked upper portion of Flooded Gum 
are tougher than the corresponding parts of Blue Gum.” My companion, Mr. 
de Coque, felled both Blue and Flooded Gums on the spot, and confirmed this 
testimony. The timber covered by the rough part of the bark of Flooded Gum is 
remarkably tough. 
“ Flooded Gum does not readily split, while Blue Gum does.” We tested 
this as far as we could, and confirmed the observation. 
Mr. Breckenridge then proceeded to state :—“ Flooded Gum is the most 
* 
durable and wearable timber in the district. It wears better than Ironbark. It is 
more durable and less brittle than mahogany. It is used for carriage-building, 
oars, and the masts of ketches. Blue Gum is straight in the grain, and used for 
splitting. It is not tough enough for spars, a purpose to which Flooded Gum 
is put.” 
Here we have one of the most experienced timber men in the country 
speaking, and I could not shake his evidence. He showed me some remarkable 
specimens, illustrative of the toughness of Flooded Gum, and produced other 
specimens bearing out other of his statements. I Avondered at first if (and I can 
believe anything with Australian timber names) the Failford Flooded Gum Avas the 
Blue Gum of other parts, hut no, and Ave examined both standing trees and suavd 
stuff. 
