Red Cedar was used as a local substitute for Flame Mahogany in the
1800's - a lot of the trade in recovered and senescent/dead trees is
for the furniture restoration trade. There's a local operation
selling furniture, doors and windows from young Toona - still very
nice stuff. Strangely I had the common good sense to buy quite a bit
in my earlier years so our major household furniture pieces will last
my lifetime and a few more with luck.
Non-Australians may not realise that Aus. rainforests are Eucalypt-
free zones with a variety of other endemic species. I'm a big fan of
the native pines myself - preferably live and standing. Especially
Huon, Callitris and Bunya-bunya.
Sustained yield - joke. 80 year cycle around here and 60 years in
Tasmania of course. So much for wildlife hollows. 'Rogue state' - I
like that. Huge tracts of old growth down there are now just sticks
and stumps and they're perversely proud of it.
Now, you can't go around saying that they cut for woodchipping - they
only use the wastes for that! You'll have Gunn's or some other suing
you. The fact that they have a 97% waste level so that they can meet
their Japanese contracts is by the way - that's 'cos they're forced
to cut regrowth of course (er, irony warning).
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 25/04/2006, at 2:08 PM, Toona wrote:
>
> Toona is named for the tree Toona ciliata. Not the pronunciation of
> the fish
> (as in 'you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish'). The Red
> Cedar is a
> Mahogany-type tree and timber (Meliaceae). Nothing to do with
> Cedars really,
> except the smell of the timber...
>
> I declare myself to be an biologist by trade (sometime
> photographer), with
> an interest in trees and timber (not only its production from
> cutting trees,
> but its qualities and use too). I live in Toona country and it was the
> reason Europeans first colonised the rainforest, pushing up the
> rivers in
> search of the 'red gold'.
>
> It regenerates easily (unlike its close relative, the unkindly
> named Onion
> Cedar, which was allegedly substituted for Red Cedar after soaking
> in rivers
> to remove the onion smell). I have lots in my regeneration areas,
> either
> planted or seeded from a 40-50 year old tree that must have been on
> the side
> of the old road.
>
> Beautiful timber (rich colour, light, strong), but really only in
> big old
> trees (little ones are pinkish). That is my point: sometimes using
> recycled
> timber is worth it for the colour and strength. Jarrah, Red Gum,
> Ironbark
> are Eucs in this category.
>
> Same applies to rainforest timbers like Red Cedar, Rosewood etc,
> although
> these are not hard to work like an old railway sleeper. (The other
> way to do
> it is incorporate them whole...I have old straining posts as
> structural
> timbers in my house.)
>
> Chances of getting the character and quality of old timber either
> means
> recycling or cutting the natural capital of the few remaining OLD
> forests...the last bit left before everyone is stuck with timber
> from small
> trees. The frontier is shrinking.
>
> Hypothetically, sustained yield is possible in SOME forest types,
> but is
> geared to produce minimum size trees for cutting. Forget it in
> rainforest.
>
> I was interested in the fact that Mountain Ash is sold as sawn
> timber OS.
> Most of it is cut for woodchips and I suppose I thought we used the
> rest.
>
> Tasmania is the rogue state on forestry and where most Mountain Ash
> is cut.
> Forestry issues are much better resolved (after a struggle) on the
> mainland.
> There has been a bit of recent movement in Tassie, with some areas
> such as
> part of the 'Valley of the Giants' reserved.
>
> The size and grandeur of forests still cut in Tassie makes me weep.
> It is
> sobering to see 25-odd people on a tree stump. Second tallest tree
> species
> extant, but the tallest tree species ever recorded (biggest now
> gone, but
> taller than the Redwoods).
>
> Please excuse the rant!
>
> Nick
>
> PS Spotted Gum is one of the better native-sourced Eucalypts, but
> supply is
> not that great. Blackbutt production has got better with more
> reservation
> and protections.
>
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