Melbourne Botanic Gardens,
22nd June, 1865.
To the Honorable John O'Shanassy, M.L.A., Chairman of the Defence Commission.
Sir,
In compliance with your request I have the honor of submitting my views regarding the supply of coals likely available for the manufacture of gunpowder in this country. Among the woods experimented on I find those of Pomaderris apetala, a tree extensively distributed through our moist forest country, and of Myrsine variabilis, yielding a coal of remarkable lightness, quite suitable for even the finer kinds of gunpowder, while I noticed, that the coals from the wattles (Acacia mollissima), of the native cherry-tree (Exocarpus cupressiformis), and of the sheoaks (Casuarina quadrivalvis and Casuarina leptoclada) though somewhat heavy seems still excellent at least for powder intended for blasting operations. For the manufacture of the coarser kinds of gundpowder, in addition of the above woods recommend themselves even the lighter kinds of Eucalyptus wood, if subjected to a proper burning process in well-constructed apparatus; nor is it improbable that the wood of the native honeysuckle and some allied proteaceous trees will furnish a good gunpowder coal. Moreover locally large supplies of wood, from which the best of coals may be obtained, are accessible in our ranges. We may thus safely anticipate, that among the very great variety of timber trees of this colony, a variety widely exceeding that of Britain, very many kinds will be found perfectly adapted for the coal ingredients of powder; neither is there any doubt on my mind, that all the coal needed for future factories as a material for powder of any kind may be amply and cheaply obtained in our own forests. Forasmuch as with lightness and porosity of coal, with the diminution of its mineral substances and with the care of its preparation, its value for the manufacture of gunpowder increases, it must be shown by subsequent experiments which of our native timbers are practically most eligible for the purpose. Should, as is to be hoped, ere long means be adopted to obtain tar, acids, naptha, &c., from our vast forests by destructive distillation of wood, then simultaneously also a large supply of superior coal would be realized. It seems very doubtful, whether some of the rapidly growing smaller woods of India, such as the cajan, there used in preference for gunpowder coal can be grown in our extra-tropical climate, with equal advantage for such purpose. We might rather, if it really was found preferable to depend on cultivated trees for supplies of powder coal, establish plantations of such species, as are in Europe drawn into use. Various kinds of willows and poplars are among the many trees yielding there a superior coal. These furthermore are characterized among European trees by celerity of growth, by the extreme facility of their cultivation (qualities still more strongly evident in our winterless clime), and they may be reared in land often not readily available for other purposes of culture.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
FERD. MUELLER, M.D.
Acacia mollissima
Casuarina leptoclada
Casuarina quadrivalvis
Eucalyptus
Exocarpus cupressiformis
Myrsine variabilis
Pomaderris apetala
Letter not found. For the text given here see B65.07.01, 'Appendix A' p. 67. M's testimony before the Select Committee upon the National Defences is at pp. 14-15.
Please cite as “FVM-65-06-22a,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on