Page:A primer of forestry, with illustrations of the principal forest trees of Western Australia.djvu/54

48 4.—WANDOO (Euc. redunca var. elata).

A tree attaining a height up to 100 feet, with a bole of 30 to 40 feet, and a diameter of four feet. The bark has a yellowish-whitish, blotchy look, and is not a clean white like the Karri, but always more or less speckled, though still smooth. It is well-balanced, sturdy tree, and is at all times a bright object in the landscape. Like that of the Karri, its bark is not persistent. The flowers are white, and small, compared to most Eucalypts, and the bud is long and tapering. The fruits are about ¼in. long, and narrow.

This wood is hard, strong, and durable. It is used for bridge construction, wharf planking, wheelwright's and millwright's work, knees of boats and shipbuilding generally. It makes an excellent trenail. It is very satisfactory for all turnery work, such as jute and cotton bobbins, telegraph insulator pins, etc. Its main use, however, is for wagon scantling for the railway stock of the Government Railways of the State. It gives a life of 25 years in under-carriages of trucks. The top plank of these trucks is always made of wandoo, which stands the wear of the unloading and loading better than steel; also, the stanchions of the trucks are of wandoo. A remarkable quality which this timber possesses is that when used in conjunction with steel there is no chemical action between the wood and the metal. Bolts have been taken from under-frames of trucks after 20 years' use and been found to be quite as clean as when put there, while the auger marks were still visible in the holes. The value of this timber is so well recognised by the Government of this State that permits for cutting it can only be obtained if the timber is to be used by State Departments; in other words, the timber may not be exported. (See Tuart.)

It is to be found growing in the South-West portion of the State on the edges of the jarrah belt. It does not grow in close forests, but in open savannah forests, and is to be found mixed with jarrah and marri. The soil is usually a clay subsoil, though occasionally it is to be met with on the sand-plain country.

The wandoo is often known as white gum. This name, however, is also applied to other species; to avoid confusion it is better to use the name wandoo always.