The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-10
TIMBER FOR AUSTRALIA.
Most OF 1t Imported from the United
States and NORWAY.

| Although Australia possesses several of
| the largest-known areas of forest cOun-
| try abounding with timbers OF a most
| useful character, principally hard woods,
| and therefore suitable for many PURPOSES
| for which the soft woods of Northern Eu-
| rope and America are untitled, the ex-
| port trade in the same remains in an un-
| developed condition, save in Western Aus
| tralta, where considerable quantities of
| Jarrah and other hard woods are annually
shipped to South Africa, Europe and vlse-
where. In New South Wales, notwith-
standing the great natural resources Of
the colony, the value of the timber inI-
ported is greatly in excess of that ex-
ported. According to Mr.. Coghlan, the
New South Wales government statisti-
clan. the bulk of the timber which comes
into the colony consists OF pines and 9TH
er soft woods, the native pine being in
some respects inferior to Oregon aud
Kauri, but there are other soft woods
equal to any Of the timbers imported. The
imports during 1883 consisted of dressed
timber valued at f6556!. rough timber es-
timated at t32S.15S, and sundries, such as
doors, sashes, shocks and slaves, laths.
shingles, and palings, worth 1874. The
bulk Of the dressed timber In 1897 came
6,0R,640 sup. feet of total of s,723, 100 sup.
feet imported The United States came
second with /, AS. .31S feet; while 556,0 feet
were imported from Victoria, 5O4, ,O08 feet
from South Australia. 3s7, ,295 feet from
Germany, 239,064 feet from New Zealand,
22S,l23 feet from the United Kingdom, and
l6l ,Sl9 feet from Canada; while of the
rough logs. 25.5l3.065 feet came from the
United States, 1S.o54.9H feet from South
Australia, 1860, ,5s3 feet from New Zea-
land, and 2,213,5S5 feet from Canada Ch4
bulk Of the United States exports were
from Port Eureka, Cal, and the Cana
dian. from Puget Sound. The foregoing
figures d somewhat large Importation
from the neighboring colonies, but a con-
siderable portion OF the timber is not of
native growth, but imported from other
countries. Victoria supplies the Rivcrina
district, and South Australia, Broken Hin,
where there is large demand for timber
for mining purposes. At the Chicago Ex-
hibition the New South Wales Railway
commissioners showed six sleepers, three
OF which had been taken out Of one OF
the metropolitan lines, after being in the
road FOR twenty-four years. and three out
OF the Western line, near the LitEgOw
Zig-zas, which had been In the road tJr
tWenty-tkree years, and these sleeper5
were but little the worse Cor wear
The New South Wales Forest DEPART /
ment also exhibited railway sleepers, !
made OF iEonSark and red gum, which mad 1
stood the test or seventeen 20 twenty-five 1
years constant use. A portion Of the 4
New South Wales court was laid with 4
wooden blocks OF blue gum, blackDutt
tallow-8Ood, forest mahogany, and box 4
WOod, showing the suitability OF there 4
hard woods for paving purposes. The 1
utiiny Of many woods for such purposes
has been proved In Sydney. the blocks,
AFTER suoJeciion TO heavy and continuous
tTaihc Tor nearly ten years, having ex-
hibited but slight wear. Prof Warren. OF
Sydney University, In his work on "Au-
straliAn I1mbers." states that ne Is con
being shown specimens OF tim
Der, taken from bridges or piles in damp
ground, which have been IN use for forty
10 sixty years or more and show no signs
Df decay Whatever. Australian hard wood
trees are rensrkaole for the great size "
me beams which may be obtained from
mem. as well as for the extreme strength
ana dNFS billy OF tneIF wood, the gray
ronnaFk having resistance 10 breaking
sqCal 70 l',sss pounds per square incn. a.
WIKI = mean Oi iL,syJ pounds
Tor English oak and l5,JN pounds FOE
-eak. None OF the other umDers Of tne
'Oiony nave 30 hlgh resistance 70 break
ng as Ef5s -N~criptlon OF iFOnbaEk, but
nearly Al! lhe varieties have = greater
1rength tha1 oak. The absence u
~ GlcNrS LDT tEe EItAts4 pCFL4CH OF tle
height enables the timber 10 De obtained !
o the best adysntsFe; and ss fuil-grOSn ,
rees OF most ysrieti=5 are rarely !ess ,
nan 100 feet high, WITH corresponding
,irth. the quantity % timber ootsinaOi
5 very large. u will readily BE- seen, :
herefore. thai the timbeFs OF the colony 4;
IRE fn every way suitable for building .
obstruction. wood blocking. tettlss. rail-
way carriages, and ether work 10 which Z
ITszt strength and durability are required / /,
"A - - q FFaxH he
-rez OF iroHbark lands belonging 10 the
Fs~n IL New s1ta Hsies u issi4 ~ :
cres. on which there Is sufficient TIMBER A.,
eacy for cutting 70 yfsls 10 -. ~ Ese~O- !
rs. and that II private lands are also !
AIKEN into acccErt the number Of sron- :
ark slsepsEs alone which the colony can : :
roduce may set down at 90 ~ % SUI
clent for no less than q quarter Of q mil
on miies Of railway track UndeF prop
? forestry regulations and conservation !
ne production Of gray ironoaEk could BE- .
onf!nHed Oh a most extensive scale for | I
a@Ey years 20 come. (