Proceedings of the Royal Society for the month of November, 1893

The monthly meeting of the Royal Society was held on Tuesday, November 14. An apology for absence, caused by a previous engagement, was read from His Excellency Lord Gormanston. Sir Lambert Dobson was voted to the chair. "Further notes on coniferae planting in Tasmania, by Mr. T. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S." The paper dealt historically with previous attempts that had been made, in some cases with great, and in others with moderate, success, to plant coniferae in the colony. As the result of some planting experiments by the late Mr. Joseph Archer at Panshanger, in 1821, four firs grown from seed now remained, the largest being lift. 2in. in girth, and the others 10ft. 7in., 9ft. l0in., and 9ft. 4in., with heights of from 70ft. to 80ft. Four other old fir trees from the first sowing were cut down 30 years since, and the boards in a room floored with them were as sound as the day when they were put down. The Pinus insignis was the most rapid growing tree. One planted about 25 years was 13ft. in girth and another 10ft. The largest was in sandy loam, and the other in gravelly soil. Amongst those who did much to encourage the planting of foreign trees in the early days were the late Mr. James Denton Toosey, Mr. William Gibson, of Scone, the late Mr. George Meredith, and particulars were given of many of the trees they planted. Mr. Stephens feared that the industry was one to be left to private enterprise, for it would be idle at present to ask the Government to renew the attempt to establish a department of forestry. Something might, however, be done to protect the more valuable indigenous trees from premature destruction, and encouragement might be given to the cultivation of useful timber trees by leasing suitable tracts of the waste lands of the Crown at a peppercorn rent, on the sole condition that they should be occupied and used only for that special purpose. Mr. J. B. Walker read some "Further Notes on Norfolk Island," sketching the history of the failure and abandonment of the island as a penal settlement, and the transportation of the inhabitants to Tasmania. The Secretary (Mr. A. Morton) drew attention to the large and valuable collection of mammals and birds received from the Royal Museum at Florence, and mentioned that Professor Giglioli, who sent them, had some 30 years ago written a book on the Tasmanians, and although he now had but one copy he was determined to procure another and present it to the Royal Society