J uly 16, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
49 
The colonies can boast but few timbers belonging to the pine or 
deal class. The colonial Pine (Araucaria Cunninghami) is a useful 
ordinary soft wood timber, but is now getting scarce, and wa are more 
than ever dependent on America and Europe for a supply of soft woods. 
The Huon Pine of Tasmania (Dacrydium Franklini), is also getting 
scarce, and strict conservation has been necessary to prevent the tree 
being exterminated in accessible localities. Some of this timber is 
beautifully figured and commands a high price. It would appear that 
the coniferous trees of Australia are more remarkable for their yield of 
ornamental timber than similar trees of northern latitudes. The Cypress 
Pine3 (Frenela) belong also to the Coniferae, and while they have been 
alluded to under ornamental timbers, they are chiefly used for ordinary 
purposes in the districts in which they are found. Thus they are used 
for lining boards, and have the important recommendation of with¬ 
standing the white ant perhaps better than any other Australian 
timber. 
Of ornamental timbers we have no lack, amongst which may be men¬ 
tioned the Tulip Wood (Harpullia pendula), with its gorgeous shades of 
yellow and black ; the various Cypress Pines (Frenela or Callitris), not 
so gorgeous, but still highly ornamental. The Cedar tribe, including the 
Red Cedar (Cedrela australis), and Rosewood (Dysoxylon Fraseranum), 
often highly ornamental, the former particularly so ; the Bean Tree 
(Castanospermum australe), a rich brown wood, reminding one of 
Walnut, and very easy to work ; and one of the Silky Oaks (Stenocarpus 
salignus), yielding a remarkably handsome dark-coloured wood, with 
blotchy markings. Speaking of ornamental timbers, it is often a fact 
that the most highly ornamental wood is left in the ground, forming the 
rootstock or gnarled stump. The Musk Tree (Aster argophyllus), found 
in several of the colonies, yields a neat but not remarkable timber, but 
the. rootstock is most beautiful, and well worthy of being cut into 
veniers. There is no doubt that it would be desirable for the rootstocks 
of other of our native trees to be critically examined, as good ornamental 
timbers always command a high price. 
The Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is one of the most valuable of 
Australian timbers, and it is put to an infinity of uses. It is strong and 
tough, and at the same time ornamental. 
Then comes the Cedar (Cedrela australis), perhaps the most valuable 
of all our timbers. Every Australian knows the Cedar, but for residents 
out of this continent it may be well to mention that the wood strongly 
resembles mahogany, to which, in fact, it is closely related. It is very 
facile to work, is very durable, and frequently shows a handsome figure. 
Like most of our good timbers, it has been so much appreciated that it 
is now getting scarce, and it is a serious fact to ponder over that, at the 
present rate of destruction, there will not be, at the close of this century, 
a single Cedar tree of workable size in New South Wales, unless a rigid 
system of conservation is put in force without delay. In regard to some 
of our best timbers—Cedar, Pine, Ironbark, &c.—we have been acting 
the spendthrift like our fathers before us, but Australia is making such 
rapid strides in population, and consequently in timber consumption, 
that we shall soon have to cry halt. 
Our chief so-called Beech is Gmelina Leichliardti. It yields a plain 
tough timber, whose chief recommendation in these lands where great 
variations in temperature are frequent is its unalterability. In Victoria 
and Tasmania we have a true Beech (Fagus Cunninghami), which 
attains enormous size and furnishes a very useful timber, which also is 
frequently ornamental. Then we have the Coachwood (Ceratopetalum 
apetalum), a most useful tough timber used by coachbuilders when 
thoroughly seasoned; a number of Flindersias and Eltreocarpu3 yielding 
ash-like timber, hard and tough. We must not omit the Myall (Acacia 
pendula), which yields a hard ornamental wood, whose odour reminds 
one of Violets, but the great majority of Acacias are not taken into con¬ 
sideration by the timber merchant, either because they are so small or 
because the timber is affected by borers, and has, at the same time, 
nothing particular to recommend it. 
For timbers with miscellaneous uses we may point to the Stave- 
woods, amongst which may be mentioned the Mountain Ash and Black¬ 
wood, already alluded to, the Red Ash (Alphitonia excelsa), the 
Stavewood (Tarrietia), a Silky Oak (Stenocarpus), and the Silky Oak 
2 >ar excellence (Grevillea robusta), a tree which promises to come into 
increased prominence, owing to the apparent suitability of its timber 
for wine casks. The Casuarinas, or Oaks, yield fissile timber, often 
dark coloured and frequently highly ornamental. These are also some 
of our best fuel woods. 
A large number of our Australian timbers have been tested with the 
view to their utilisation for wood engraving, but not with much success 
hitherto. Some of the Cheesewoods (Pittosporum) promise well, as also 
do a native Pomegranate (Capparis) ; the Native Cherry (Exocarpus 
cupressiformis) is useful also for wood screws. We also possess a 
number of timbers excellent for carving.—J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., 
F.C.S., &c., Curator of the Technological Museum, Sydney ; author of 
“ The Useful Native Plants of Australia,” (in the Year Booh of 
Australia.') __ 
THE BRITISH FRUIT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
Fruit Prospects. 
At a meeting of the above Association, held in the Horticultural 
Club, Hotel Windsor, on Thursday, July 9th, at 6 P.M., the ordinary 
routine business was transacted, and further arrangements were made 
for the various Conferences. It was announced that at Cardiff, on 
August 12th, Mr. A. Pettigrew would read a paper on “ Hardy Fruit 
Culture in South Wales,” also that several other valuable papers had 
been promised. Two Vice-Presidents were added to the already long 
list of influential gentlemen—namely, Cyril Flower, Esq., M.P., Aston 
Clinton, and H. L. Stephens, Esq., Finchley, both of whom are especially 
interested in horticulture. It was also stated that at the BeddiDgton 
Park Conference, on August 3rd, Sir James Whitehead, Bart:, would 
preside and deliver an opening address, to be followed by short papers 
on different aspects of fruit culture. 
Reports on the condition and prospects of fruit culture had been 
received from numbers of members, of which the following were selected 
and read :— 
Bucks. —Very sorry I cannot send you a favourable report of our 
large fruit orchards. The trees were in full bloom on the 17th of May, 
when we had 7° of frost, and again on the 19th we had 7°. These 
frosts killed all the young shoots on our Walnut trees, and cut off half 
the bloom on the Plum trees. Still I think on many trees we shall have 
half a crop. Apples being much later, they will be a good all-round 
crop. Pears and Plums on walls are a good crop, Peaches and Nectarines 
a good regular crop, Apricots the same, Cherries half a crop. Small 
fruits of all kinds are plentiful and good. Strawberries are a very heavy 
crop.— J. Smith, Mentmore. 
Herts. —I send a few details of hardy fruit prospects in this district. 
Apricots heavy crops on all trees. Apples not so plentiful as the early 
promise. Fruit thinned by fro3t and cold winds, but here most trees 
have a fair crop. Pears are generally well cropped. Plums heavy crops, 
trees breaking down by the weight of fruit, including Damsons. The 
same may be said of Gooseberries and Currants. Cherries are plentiful. 
Strawberries good crops, but not such fine fruit as in past years. Plants 
were much injured by caterpillars, and the fruit is not so good in flavour. 
Too much wet. Peaches and Nectarines partial; some trees are well 
cropped, others thin. Raspberries show well. Filberts thin crops. 
The above remarks respecting the fruit crops in these gardens will 
apply also to the surrounding neighbourhood. All vegetable crops are 
looking splendid owing to the showery weather. We have been quite 
free from the caterpillar on Apple trees, which wrought such destruction 
in the three past years.— James C. Mundell, Moor Park Gardens. 
Fruit Crops at Sawbridgeworth. — Black Currants very scarce; 
Red, plentiful. Gooseberries plentiful. Cherries are not grown for 
market in this district. Plums.—Early Rivers, an enormous crop; 
Czar (Rivers), an enormous crop ; Sultan (Rivers), a fair crop ; Arch¬ 
duke (Rivers), a very large crop ; Monarch (Rivers), plentiful, but not 
excessive; Prince Englebert, very abundant; Victoria, a very poor 
crop ; Belle de Louvain, a very poor crop ; Late Black Orleans, a very 
poor crop ; Oullin3 Golden Gage, enormous, trees already breaking 
down; Cluster Damsons, moderate. Pears.—Beacon (Rivers) and Fertility 
(Rivers), abundant crops. Apples.—Duchess of Oldenburg, plentiful; 
Stirling Castle, plentiful. The Apple crop has partially failed.— 
T. F. Rivers, Saivbridgeioortk. 
Somerset. —xipples are disappointing. The tree3 flowered grandly, 
but were much damaged by frosts, and there are many failures, the rest 
of the trees being fairly well cropped. This applies to both orchard and 
garden trees. Crop apparently below the average. Pears against walls 
were never more promising, failures being few and far between. The 
trees in the open flowered later, and were caught by the frosts, and the 
crops are very partial. Much the same remarks apply to Plums, the 
wall trees being heavily laden, and the rest lightly cropped. Cherries, 
with the exception of Morello3, are a poor crop generally. Apricots and 
Peaches good, especially where well protected. Gooseberries and Black 
Currants were much injured by the Whitsuntide frosts, and the crops 
are very light. Red Currants are fairly good, and Raspberries very 
promising. Strawberries were injured by frosts, checked by dry 
weather, and now are suffering from too much moisture. So far as 
I can ascertain the foregoing is a similar experience to what holds good 
hereabouts (Chard district, Dorset, and Somerset).—W. Igghlden. 
Hants. —The fruit prospects in this neighbourhood are, on the whole, 
very promising. Strawberries are abundant, but late, owing to the 
severe frost of May 17th killing early blooms. Gooseberries, Currants, 
and Raspberries plentiful. Apples on the whole are an average crop, 
variable, in some places heavy, others light. Pears are a full crop on 
walls ; Plums on walls full crop, in the open generally thin, a few 
exceptions have heavy crops. Damsons are very thin; Cherries a full 
crop. The trees on the whole are fairly clean. On some aphis has 
been troublesome, but there is no appearance of caterpillar.—E. Moly- 
negx, Sioanmore Park Gardens. 
Waffs.—With us Peaches do not come under the heading of “ hardy 
fruits.” Apricots on walls are about half a crop. I saw some on my 
own house, the blooms of which were (on the Saturday preceding 
Whitsuntide) filled with snow, and during the night following were 
subjected to 9° of frost, and yet there is a fair sprinkling of fruit. 
Apples, the most important factor, are disappointing after the wealth 
of blooms which covered every tree and made them look like sheets of 
colour. I attribute the failure chiefly to the fact that it rained almost 
continuously during seven days of the blooming season. The flowers 
remained on for a long time and then dropped off. Most people think 
the frost caused the mischief, but having examined very many 
blooms after the frost and finding a large proportion uninjured I 
think the frost must be released from the charge. Duchess of Olden¬ 
burg is as usual to the front, and has come through both frost and wet. 
Some of the late Apples will carry a full crop, but Keswicks and many 
of those which bloom at midseason will have but little to carry. Pears 
