101 
3. Capacity for Bending. 
This is readily admitted, and advantage is taken of this property, which Spotted Gum possesses in 
a high degree, by the coachbuilder. 
4. Lightness. 
This is also a great advantage for light vehicles. Throughout the western district the coachbuilders 
purchase, at great expense, for cartage and railway freight, Spotted Gum for buggy and waggon building, 
no other available timber having the same elasticity and toughness. 
5. Easy Working. 
It gives a clean face, takes paint readily, and when at all seasoned before putting in work does not 
warp or twist, particular}’ in buggy shafts and poles. 
G. Evenness of Quality. 
This is an important question, all timber showing large gum-veins (or discoloured in appearance), or 
carrying any sap whatever, should be rejected. Timber must be cut from fully-matured trees, absolutely 
free from heart or heart-shakes and sap. Shipments should be uniform in colour, from one district if 
possible, and as free from veins as possible. For home railway waggon sizes, it should be specially selected. 
We feel confident if this is done it will at once command the attention of English engineers. 
7. Large Sizes readily obtainable. 
This is borne out by the heights and girths given by various correspondents in reply to question 19. 
8. Comparative freedom from pipe. 
This is more particularly applicable to southern Spotted Gum, and we do not know that it can be 
altogether considered to be an advantage. Freedom from pipe means presence of heart, inferior timber in 
regard to which special care is, or should be, taken to remove. 
We do not recommend it for square girders, as it shells in square sizes under sun exposure. 
(/>) Disadvantages (as staled by various correspondents). 
1. Liability to warp and twist. 
2. Inclination to split. 
3. Liability to attack by White Ants. 
4. Great thickness of worthless sapwood. 
5. Presence of Gum-veins. 
1. Liability to Warp and Twist (irregular shrinking). 
If the timber is cut when the sap is down, and allowed to season without exposure to the sun, it 
shrinks evenly, but if exposed to sun, and cut full of sap in small sizes, free of heart it twists from the 
heart out,—that is to say, it curves, with the heart side on the circumference. 
Opinions are nearly equally divided, but the balance of opinion is in favour of Spotted Gum not 
shrinking more than colonial hardwoods usually do. 
2. Inclination to split. 
It does not split any more than Blackbutt, and not as much as Sydney Blue Gum (E. saligna). 
We think that increased attention should be given to the proper period for felling Spotted Gum, i.e., it 
should be cut when the sap is up. 
3. Liability to attack by White Ants. 
Diversity of opinion exists in regard to this, but we are of opinion the durability of Spotted Gum 
is equal to that of the average colonial timbers as regards white ants, and superior to that of Ironbark and 
Blackbutt, to which they arc very partial. 
4. Great thickness of worthless Sapwood. 
The sapwood of Spotted Gum decays most rapidly of all the sapwoods of the best timbers, and 
perhaps even of those of all hardwoods whatsoever. It is utterly worthless, and has contributed a good 
deal to the prejudice which exists in some quarters in regard to Spotted Gum. The sapwood should be 
removed with the greatest care. The sapwood readily crumble to a fine powder through the operations of 
the larvie of a small beetle (Lyclus brunnens), but these insects confine their attention to the sapwood. 
Be cause of the similarity of the sap to the other part of the timber, and because of the worthlessness of 
the former, the inspection of Spotted Gum demands especial care on the part of the insj>ector of timber, 
c 
