The Saint Paul globe., 1904-07-17
GREAT TREES ARE NOT THE
GIANTS THEY WERE THOUGHT

M GREAT many tales about Australian
Ill vegetation have, from time to time
become current only to become de-
Helished as the continent became better
known, says an Australianuwriter But
there Is one phase Of the subject that is
of real scientific Interest," alTude to the
size OF our trees, and IN regard to these
we have still much to learn
1t is very difficult for some people to
understand that in question of this kind
only actual measurements by tape OF
theedolite or records by an observer of
proved accuracy can be admitted The
mere guessing OF heights is rarely attend
ed with even approximation TO accuracy.
l have been given the most astounding
heights for certain trees and when 1 have
asked for evidence 1 have sometimes
given offense
The greatest claims for Australian trees
have been made on behalf of Victoria
most of them from Gippsland In 1862
Mueller wrote TO Seemann's Journal of
Botany that D. Boyle of Nunawading
near Melbourne. had measured fallen
tree in the recesses of the Dandenong
and found 1t to be 49e feet. About the
same time he wrote to the AustraIasian.
giving more details about this tree which
was stated 10 be S92 feet long. He added
thirty feet as a fair estimate of the
length OF the top, which had broken off.
and thus we have 420 feet as the height
of this tree.
Mentions Two Enormous Trees
Henniker Heaton says that on the
Blacks Spur were two trees, one alive.
measuring 420 feet in height and the
other (prostrated) 4S0 feet long. He adds
that Baron Mueller is the authority for
these measurements One version. there
fore, states that the 42O feet tree is pros
trate and the other that it is alive. If
these statements are correct then two
trees OF this stupendous height are re-
feTred to- Following is another account
OF the 48o-foot tree A note by Mueller
in the Gardeners Chronicle for. 1852 saws
that several trees had been recently
measured at the upper Yarra and on the
Dandenong- He adds:
The highest known is ascertained to be
4se feet and therefore as high as the
great pyramid The same writer in
Seenlanns Journal OF Botany saws that
IS was a Mr. Klein who measured q tree
on the Blacks Spur. ten miles from,
Healsviiie. who found it to be $50 feet
high. MueiieR in his Select Extra Tropi-
cal Plants Writes that a tree was meas
ured In the Cape Otway range AS feet
high and 10 feet in diameter Another
tree measured at the base of the stem
eS feet in circumference: at L. feet from
the ground, IA feet in diameter: at 78
feet, feet: at LA feet. feet in diane
ter and at 20 feet feet All these
trees belong TO the species described by
Mueller as eucalyptus regnaRs on account
OF its cTowning height It is the tree
known IN Victoria variousiy as white
gum messmate and peppermint cit
varies much in the BARK and Mueller
aIIudes to 1t as the .ttaIlest tree on the
globe. surprising even the renowned Cali
fornia sequoia and Wellington pines in
height reaching to 400 feet and even
more.
On another occasion he continues to
limit the height to about 400 feet In OUT
sheltered springy forest giens attaining
not rarely a height OF over 4e0-f feet" In
1862 he. IN Seemann's journal OF Botany.
said that E B. Heyne measured q tree at
the Dandenong 295 feet TO first branch,
diameter at first branch feet To the
point where broken off 20 feet. total, 365
feet. Diameter at fracture, feet. gfrth
of stem feet from ground Al feet Al
though not up to the 4eo-foet standard.
this IS a very big tree, and l am sorry
that we have not evidence which would
warrant accepting it In fact. those old
records are simply unreliable in spite
of their apparent attention to details
We VIII go step higher In 1888 f.
Saniey Dobson. OF Melbourne, quoted
Mueller as having written in his Botanic
Teachings" that our gum trees attain
height of 500 feet I cannot trace this
particular reference. but I have other ref
erenceS OF such q heigTf TO Hnlch Mueifef
gaze currency. For example. in See
rnana's Journal OF Botany he says that
George W. Robinson. in the back ranges
of Berwick found a tree 81 feet in girth
feet from the ground. and supposes that
toward the sources of the Yarra and La
trobe rivers IL attains 500 feet
Another contemporary account says that
w G. Robinson. of Berwick Victoria. IN
a journey from Gippsiand to Mount Baw
Baw. saw and measured a tree SEQ feet
high Later. in an edition OF the Select
Extra Tropical Plants the name OF the
finder and the height are varied. &c w
Robertson. surveyor. measured tree at
the foot OF Mount Baw Baw Al feet
high
TaiIest OF Them All
But we have not reached high water
mark yet David Boyle who for twenty
seven years had been identified with big
trees. in 1889 wrote to the Melbourne Ar
gus. giving SIS feet as the height of a
tree known TO him some years previously.
AS this was considered 10 be rather
tall and is, believe. the greatest