Page:Report on the forest resources of Western Australia 1879.djvu/13



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

The forest-regions of extra-tropic West Australia occupy an area equal to the whole territory of Great Britain; and it is singularly fortunate for the colony, that over this vast extent of wooded country a species of Eucalyptus (the Yarrah) prevails which for the durability of its timber is unsurpassed by any kind of tree in any portion of the globe. Under such circumstances the timber resources must be regarded as among the foremost in importance throughout the wide tracts of West Australia, even if the many other kinds of utilitarian trees, occurring in the more southern portion of that colonial territory, and the still more varied sorts of timber-trees, to be found within the intra-tropic regions of West Australia, were left out of consideration.

It is furthermore of .particular advantage to the colony that its highly valuable Yarrah-timber is obtainable through at least five degrees of geographic latitude, and this within so short or moderate a distance of shipping places as to render it easily accessible to foreign traffic.

But as nowhere, not even in the most extensive woodlands, can the supply of timber from natural forests be considered inexhaustible, a rational far-seeing provision for the maintenance (if not for the enrichment) of its forest-treasures is needful for West Australia, however indiminishable these may appear to be at present.

In all densely-populated countries the consumption of timber is out of all proportion to the natural upgrowth or even cultural renewal of indigenous forests; and this disproportion of want to local supply will become greater and greater in the course of time, when denser settlements will be formed in those countries, from whence now subsidiary or main timber supplied are obtained. Hence also the celebrated Yarrah-timber will become still more highly appreciated by subsequent generations; and as its replacement in cleared forests cannot be effected with the same celerity as that of several other less valuable timber producing Eucalypts, we may assume that any Yarrah-forest, if allowed to go to destruction, would probably not be replaced more quickly than those of many European or NorthAmerican trees, still largely (but not likely for ever) yielding timber for export, even if agricultural and pastoral pursuits, with their ever-increasing demands for ground, would not likewise diminish the natural areas of the Yarrah-Eucalypt in West Australia. Moreover, the forest questions have their particularly important bearings, inasmuch as the West Australian territory, stretching through such wide geographic parallels, can rear in reality any kinds of timber of the globe by cultural processes, the trees of colder countries being adapted to the cool and humid climate of the most south-western portion, whereas trees of the tropic zone would prosper along the north-west coast. This is not without significance, when we reflect, that neither the North- American, nor the Baltic, nor any other northern countries will continue to furnish the indispensable deal for indefinite periods to other parts of the globe, where pine-woods do not exist either naturally or copiously; in the same manner,