A  January Pi897rm'}      Murray  Red  Gum  and  Its  Kino.  7 
South  Wales  Government.  On  this  flooded  land  the  propagation  of 
the  tree  is  largely  unchecked,  and  so  the  production  of  timber — 
and,  indirectly,  of  kino — is  practically  unlimited. 
The  Murray  River  is  a  river  nearly  2,000  miles  long.  It  forms 
the  greater  part  of  the  boundary  between  the  colonies  of  New  South 
Wales  and  Victoria.  There  is  comparatively  little  red  gum  on  the 
Victorian  side,  but  in  New  South  Wales  territory  it  is  very  abundant. 
Beyond  the  Dividing  Range,  in  New  South  Wales,  the  red  gum 
has  a  very  wide  range,  being  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Cudgegong, 
Castlereagh,  Darling,  etc.  It  is  also  sparingly  found  in  the  coast 
country,  except  from  the  Victorian  boundary  to  the  Bega  district. 
In  Victoria  it  is  found  on  river-flats  and  open  valleys  in  most  parts 
of  the  colony,  and  in  South  Australia  it  is  likewise  very  extensively 
distributed.    It  is  also  found  in  southwest  Queensland. 
The  way  in  which  the  red  gum  (yarra)  usually  marks  the  course 
of  water  was  early  observed  by  Sir  Thomas  Mitchell :  "  The  yarra 
grew  here  (Lachlan),  as  on  the  Darling,  to  a  gigantic  size,  the 
height  sometimes  exceeding  100  feet.  The  yarra  is  certainly  a 
pleasing  object  in  various  respects;  its  shining  bark  and  lofty  height 
inform  the  traveller  of  a  distant  probability  of  water  or,  at  least,  of 
the  bed  of  a  river  or  lake,  and,  being  visible  over  all  other  trees,  it 
usually  marks  the  course  of  the  rivers  so  well  that,  in  travelling 
along  the  Darling  and  Lachlan,  I  could  trace  with  ease  the  general 
course  of  the  river  without  approaching  its  banks  until  I  wished  to 
encamp."    ("  Three  Expeditions,"  ii,  54.) 
This  useful  tree  has  been  introduced  into  several  countries  (chiefly 
through  the  agency  of  Baron  von  Mueller),  with  varying  success. 
For  particulars  of  most  of  the  results,  see  Mueller's  "  Select  Extra- 
Tropical  Plants  "  (Victorian  Edition).  For  results  in  Assam,  see 
Kew  Report  iox  1879,  p.  16;  and  for  results  in  India  see  Kew  Re- 
ports: 1876,  p.  23;  1879,  p.  16;  18.81,  p.  12.  Vilmorin,  of  Paris, 
has  distributed  a  good  deal  of  red  gum  in  Europe.  Some  years  ago 
I  received,  from  a  correspondent  at  Oporto,  in  Portugal,  flowers  and 
fruits  raised  from  such  seed,  with  the  report  that  the  species  does 
well  in  that  country.  The  red  gum  has  been  planted  by  a  number 
of  people  in  California,  and  is  favorably  reported  upon  by  the  local 
forest  conservator.  For  an  account  of  its  growth  in  that  State, 
reference  may  be  made  to  the  very  interesting  monograph  on 
"  Eucalyptus,"  by  Mr.  Abbot  Kinney,  of  Los  Angeles. 
