Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-08
AUSTRALIAN TREES
WRITER WHO INVESTIGATES
FINDS HEIGHT EXAGGERATED.
Stories of Forest Monarchs Reaching
500 neutrality-suspicious. Meas
urement Surprise.
From the Sydney Herald.

A great many taleS ABOUT AuSlrdldH VcSe-
tation have. from time to time, become cur
rent only to become demolished as the con-
tinent became better known. But there is
one phase of the subject that Is of real
scientific Interest," allude 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 I'M
derstand that in question of this kind
only actual measurements by tape or theo-,
dolite or records by an observer of proved
accuracy can be admitted The mere guess
Ing of heights is rarely attended with even
approximation to accuracy. I have been
given the most astounding heights for GER
tain trees and when I have asked for evil
dence have sometimes given offense.
The greatest claim for Australian trees
have been made on behalf of Victoria. most
of them from GippSland. In 1862 Mueller
wrote to SeemannS Journal of Botany that
d. Boyle of Nunawading. near Melbourne.
had measured a fallen tree in the receSSeS
of the Dandenong and found it to be 40
feet. About the same time he wrote to the
AuStralaS1an, giving more details about this
tree, which was stated to be 392 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
400 feet in length, and the other (prostrat-
eO 4SO feet long. He adds that Baron
Mueller is the authority for these measure
ments. One version, therefore, states that
the 42o-foot tree is PROSTATE and the other
that 1t is alive. If these statements are
correct then two trees of this stupendous
height are referred to. Following is another
account OF the 4S0-foot tree: note by
Mueller In the Gardeners Chronicle for
1867 says that several trees had been re-
Gently measured at the upper Yarra and ON
the Dandenong. He adds:
Inc highest known is ascertained to be
49o rect, and therefore as high as the great
pyramid. The same writer in Seemann's
yournal OF Botany says that it was Mr..
kleln who measured tree on the Blacks
spur. ten miles from Healsvile who found
1t to be $50 feet high. Mueller in his Select
Extra Tropical Plants writes that tree
was measured in the Cape Otway range
40 feet high and 10 feet in diameter.
another tree measured at the base of the
stem % feet in circumference; at II feet
from the ground. IA feet in diameter. at
20 ieet' . rect; at LA feet, S feet in dame;
ter, and at 21O feet, ) feet All these trees
belong to the species described by Mueller
as eucalyptus regnans on account of its
GROWING height 1t is the tree known In
victoria Variously as white gum mess
mate and peppermint Gt varies much in
the bark), and Mueller aIludes to it. as the
latest tree on the globe surprising even
the renowned California seuuoia and Well
lnstoh pines in height, reaching to 400 feet
and even more w.
Old Records Unreliable.
oh ahcther occasion he continues to3qimit
the height to about 400 feet. ..In orr sbaI.
tered springy forest glens attaining not
rarely a height of ever 400 feet" In 1870,
ne III oeehanns Journal of Botany said
tfat b B. Heyne measured a tree at tho
Dandenong 2)5 feet to first branch d,ana
yer at hrst branch. feet. To the point
where bi oxen Off 40 feet: total 36, foot
diameter at fracture 3 feet; sirth of stern
three feet from, ground IL feet AItboueh
Aot up to the 4t0-foot standard, this is a
very Dig tree, and am sorry that we have
not evidence which would warrant our ac-
cepting it. In fact, those old records are
SIMPLY unreliable in spite of their apparent
attention to details
we VIII go a step higher. In 1889 F. San
ley Dcbson of Melbourne quoted Mueller as
having written in his Botanic Teachings'
Ihat our gum trees attain a height of 800
rect. cannot trace this particular refer
elce, out nave other references of such a
height to which Mueller gave currency.
For example, in Seemann's Journal of Bot
any he says that George w. Robinson In
the back ranges of Berwick found a tree 81
1eet IN g1rth four feet from the ground.
and supposes that toward the sources of
the Yarra and Latrobe rivers it attains 800
feet.
Another contemporary account SAYS that
W. u Robinson of Berwick, Victoria, in
Journey from GippSland to Mount BaW
Baw, saw and measured a tree 800 feet
high Later in an edition of the Select
Extra Tropical Plants" the name of the
finder and the height are varied "G W.
Robertson. surveyor, measured tree at
the foot of Mount Baw Baw All feet high"
Tallest 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 1883 wrote to the Melbourne Ar
gus giving 525 feet as the height of a tree
known to him some years previously AS
this was considered to be rather tall"
and is. l believe, the greatest height in or
out of Australia claimed for a tree, Mr.
Boyle replied to inquirers: Il determined
to have it photographed and measured. ten
years having elapsed since 1 measured it
before / found it. The tree was
healthy. the only change in it since I saw
it last being that portion of the top was
blown away. The measurement now is 466
feet high, and it's circumference four feet
from the ground, 81 feet; base, ia feet"
Visitors to the Melbourne international
exhibition in 1888 will remember the photo
graphs of large butted gum tree by NJ J.
Cairo photographer. who declared that he
mad once come across this monster in
GlppSland, and tnat It's height was AGA
feet. He called it 1.-The Baron" after Won
Mueller. Here was something definite to
go upon
The trustees of the public library of
Melbourne voted $500. the trustees of the
exhibition building another $780, the min
lister for lands promised a sum not exceed
ing $4,000, to have this leviathan measured
and photographed. After some hesitancy
on the part of the photographer the iden-
tical tree photographed was found The
inspector of forests and government sur
veyor measured it accurately and found it
to be 219 feet inches. Here was a come
down. No tree in the neighborhood
reached 300 feet" The tree, of which
specific measurement was given, was
found on actual measurement to be less
than half it's reputed height.
James Munroe, premier OF Victoria
thereupon offered a reward of $500 out of
his own pocket for any Victorian tree 400
feet in height, and the reward has re-
manned unclaimed to this day.
Rose Equal to the Emergency.