From John Brown   25 August 1879

Wirrabara¹ — 25/8/79.

Dear Sir Ferdinand,

No 1 branchlet enclosed is from a tree called "Blue Gum" here. It attain to a large size in this forest and is generally found growing on deep soils in the flats and on the hill sides. The timber is valuable. Is this the true E. viminalis?²

No 2. branchlet is from the "Box" in this forest. I sent you a specimen of it the other day,³ but the enclosed seems somewhat different — especially in the pods or capsules which are not unlike those of your E. diversicolor.⁴

A line from you regarding these at your convenience will oblige.

Yours very truly

J. E. Brown

I enclose some "notes" re. "Box". (E. oleosa)

Sir Ferd. Mueller.

Government Botanist.

Melbourne.

Some "notes" re. "Box".⁵

The tree is found extensively in the Flinders Range, and generally in belts by itself and not frequently intermixed with other kinds of trees. It is met with in the flats, but principally on high-lying, rough, and somewhat dry ridges and hills. The best timber of the species is always that growing on the hills. The character of the tree is much influenced by the soil and atmospheric condition of the district in which it is growing. The foliage is somewhat dense, and dark looking, the bark persistent, of a white appearance and somewhat furrowed. The tree gets "heart-rot" at an early age and is worthless before reaching maturity. The timber is of a very close-grained character and is considered valuable for wheelwrights, builders and others; it is strong and very durable, and is said to remain sound longer in the ground than E. viminalis or E. paniculata. Have seen posts 15 years in the ground taken up almost quite sound.

J. E. Brown

Conr. of Fts⁶

S.A.

26/8/79

Eucalyptus diversicolor

Eucalyptus oleosa

Eucalyptus paniculata

Eucalyptus viminalis