117

a—4:

T. W. Adams, 'Jreendale, Canterbury.

(D.) NOTES ON THE GROWING OF AUSTRALIAN GUM-TREES IN THE WAIKATO. On the Bth October, 1874, my brother, the late J. C. Reynolds, sowed some gum-seeds, under different names—viz., messmate, red ironbark, slatey gum, woolly-butt, white ironbark, stringy-bark, bastard box, blue-gum (Aus ralian) black ironbark, blood wood, and Australian red-gum. The messmate is what is commonly known here as peppermint gum : the bark is rough and thick ; the tree is very hardy, will transplant well, is a quick grower, and will stand sharp frosts. The wood is salmon colour, fhave been sowing seed of this messmate gum for some years, and it germinates well. The Rev. J. H. Simmonds, Principal of the Auckland Three Kings College, who is an enthusiastic advocate of forestry, has been securing specimens of gums I have been growing to send to Australia for identification.

Height. i i"r. H £ 5 1896. 1908. Native of Remarks. Ft. 2 Ft.6 The cork oak. Cannot be recommended for growing so far from the sea. Q. suber M France Q. acuta Q. 2Esculus .. Q. alba Q. aquatica Q. incana Q. bicolor Q. castanifolia Q. chrysophylla Q. cuspidata Q. dentata .. Q. dilitata .. Q. dumosa Q. falcata Q. glauca Q. libani Q. lineata Q. lamellosa Q. Michauxii Q. Nigra Q. prinus Q. phyllioides Q. sessiliflora Q. tinetoria Q. Weslizeni Robinia pseudo-acacia 6 1 5 8 9 10 5 10 10 5 5 7 1 2 4 6 1 4 7 8 7 1 5 11 26 \ -These are also growing here. i ] 20 K M North America J Wood grown here remarkably durable ; tree grows very slowly. A timber-tree of Japan. Fails badly here. For ornament this is a very desirable tree. A curious tree, only useful as a distinct tree in a collection. The redwood. A tree that should be largely grown on the pumice lands. This and about two dozen other speoies of willow are growing here. S. alba needs the vicinity of water, when it will grow into a fine tree, and is a valuable timber, especially for cricket-bats. The English yew. Makes a fine evergreen tree of slow growth. This requires much water, and is a valuable timbertree for swamps. Not to be grown for timber, but is a very distinct tree. | The lime-trees are useful for several purposes, and f bees make much honey from their flowers. I These are good timber-trees where land is not too I" dry. A spreading tree that in free soil makes good growth. Does not grow so well as the European elms. Of upright growth, and rapid when in good position. I These elms are distinct in appearance, and make fair f growth. This is the cork-barked elm. Sends up suckers very freely. Retinospora obtusa .. R. leptoclada Salisburia adiantifolia 2 9 3 8 20 5 F P M P Japan China.. Sequoia sempervirens 4 14 F M California Salix alba Taxus baccata England 12 14 F P Taxodium distichum .. 5 8 P America Thujopsis dolobrata .. Tilia europea T. americana Thuja occidentalis T. gigantea Ulmus montana U. americana U. campestris U. purpurea U. exoniensis U. suberosa 2 19 4 5 26 19 6 6 7 7 2.3 11 28 6 11 40 30 10 29 16 16 45 • F F P M P M G G M G M M G Japan Europe America F . F British Columbia Scotland America England F F England Europe U. fulva U. racemosa U. crassifolia U. parvifolia U. vegeta U. Koopmani U. turkestani Wellingtonia gigantea 6 5 4 3 8 10 8 35 ) r These are also growing here. 15 F ivi California The " big tree " of California. Requires rich deep soil to succeed here. IT . „.,,, . l' * Good, G ; moderate, ; poo.-, P.