l86 TlMEHRI. 
reports which I was enabled to procure for the Society ought to be most 
encouraging. 
The samples of timbers attracted much notice, and were the subject 
of much enquiry ; those lent from the Museum of Science and Art in 
Edinburgh which had appeared in the Forestry Exhibition, had, however, 
deteriorated a good deal. They were split and looked insignificant. 
Some of the slabs exhibited by this Society were also in indifferent 
order. They were polished and made to assume as good an appearance 
as possible, still, splits in them detracted from their value in the eyes of 
experts. Probably in collecting future specimens it will be desirable to 
take more time and to exercise more care in the felling of the trees, 
using the saw rather than the axe. 
The smaller blocks shewn by Messrs. Park & Cunningham were in 
excellent condition and formed an attractive exhibition. 
All these exhibits were brought to the notice of furniture makers, 
carriage builders, railway companies — the authorities at Woolwich and 
at the Small Arms Factory at Endfield. Mr. Lastell, the expert selected 
by H.R.H. the Executive President to report on the timbers in the 
Exhibition, expressed himself very favourably with regard to them. I 
wish to mention that I had hoped to have laid before you the official 
reports on the several exhibits, but they had not reached me by the last 
mail. 
I regret that experiments were not made upon our woods by Messrs. 
Ransome who invited the Commissioners of the several colonies to 
submit their timbers for trial at their Works, but the sizes required 
were beyond what could be supplied and there were no specimens 
available. 
The railway sleepers, although approved of, could hardly compete 
with those of fir which are generally used in the United Kingdom — the 
latter being so much cheaper even when kyanised or otherwise protec- 
ted against rot, while these are likely to be supplemented for reasons 
of economy by sleepers of steel. 
The telegraph posts of wallaba attracted some attention, and were 
considered to be worth while trying. 
One very interesting display in the South Australian Court was the 
collection of specimen cards shewing various woods in bark and in 
vertical and transverse sections with the foliage and inflorescence I 
believe I am right in saying that many of our woods have not as yet 
been classified botanically, and it is desirable that this omission be 
