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Mahogany ( Eucalyptus resinifera, Sm.). 
This is a good-sized tree, yielding a fresh, red-coloured, open, free-working timber with very little 
sapwood. Very durable under water, and should be useful for certain classes of carriage work. 
Red Gums. 
The principal timbers used under this heading are the Forest Red Gum ( Eucalyptus tereticornis, 
Sm.) ; Murray Red Gum ( E. rostrata, Schl.) They are both excellent red-coloured timbers for coach¬ 
building, being medium bard, close-grained, and I have not the slightest doubt that one or the other was 
used in the following (quoted from the Daily Telegraph , 28th March, 1908):—“ Wheels forty years old— 
Durability of Red Gum—Wellington, Friday. - Mr. James Thompson, coachbuilder, has just had returned 
to him for retyring a pair of dray wheels he had made over forty years ago. They were cut out of Red 
Gum timber, then growing on Junction Park, and are fit for many years’ service yet.” 
They are particularly suited for felloe making, and Mr. Goodwin, of Sydney, states he prefers Red 
Gum (supplied as Blue Gum) to Sydney Blue Gum for this purpose, as he found it more durable than the 
latter, and, he claims, less likely to fracture. 
Spotted Gum (Eucalyptus maculata, Hook.). 
A fine forest tree, giving a greyish-yellow coloured timber, with a close grain, which is sometimes 
straight, but occasionally interlocked ; hard, tough, and elastic. Fair quantity of sapwood. Difficult to 
dress. Used for spokes, shafts, poles, swingle-trees, rims, and coach-building construction generally. 
Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna, Sm.). 
A fine gully tree with a red-coloured timber, which is open, straight-grained, heavy, free-working, 
and one of our most useful timbers. Principally employed by carriage-builders and wheelwrights, who, in 
fact, almost use it exclusively for felloes. It is also much used for railway-waggon work, and a specimen 
taken from the under-frame of a waggon after thirty years’ running is still in a good state of preservation. 
Tallow-wood (Eucalyptus microcorys, F.v.M.). 
A large forest tree, having a greyish-yellow, hard, close-grained, heavy, strong, and very durable 
timber ; good for any purpose requiring great strength. Used for shafts, rails, poles, and especially for the 
heavy framing of railway rolling-stock. Portion of a sole bar of an open goods w r aggon is exhibited in this 
Museum, and, after thirty years’ use, is still sound. 
Silky Oak (Orites excelsa, R.Br.). 
Most of the Silky Oak sold on the Sydney market is generally thought to be botanically Grevillea 
robusta, A. Cunn., but such does not appear to be the case, for specimens recently chemically examined 
were found to be 0. excelsa, R.Br. The timber of the two may be regarded commercially as one and the 
same, and practically are so, but 0. excelsa is given more prominence here as it is the timber most 
frequently found in the trade. Its colour may be said to approach that of the English Oak, and perhaps 
even the figure, but it is not nearly so hard, although more elastic. It has a beautiful figure, and looks 
handsome polished, and would do w r ell for panelling, decoration, sheathing, &c. It is often used in sulky 
work. Saddlers (saddlery being a trade closely allied to carriage-making) prefer it to any other for saddle 
trees, as it holds nails very much better than any other woods. 
FOREIGN TIMBERS. 
American Hickory (Carya tomentosa). 
This appears to be a particularly fine timber. It is a close-grained, easy working, heavy, tough 
timber. As a substitute for this I should recommend Teak ( Elindersia australis, R.Br.). 
The Australian substitute for American Ash ( Fraxinus americana), 1 should say, would be found 
in the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis, R.T.B.; E. fraxinoides , II I). et J.H.M. ; E. oreades, 
R.T.B. ; and E. regnans, F.v.M.). 
