Planting trials of E. deglupta

From Wednesday 10 April the number one priority was calibration of the density curves that had been carried back from Canberra, measuring the area under the curves at intervals along the trace and converting the result to wood density by relating the curve to traces made of wood blocks of known density and acetate wedges that were x-rayed on each plate along with the samples of E. deglupta. This work was fitted in between the other research tasks undertaken at Keravat.14

A positive print of an entire x-ray plate shows the images of five wood blocks of known density (down the right hand side) and two acetate step wedges that were scanned to calibrate the density curves produced by the densitometer of the six wood samples of E. deglupta (in this case bark to pith samples of three trees, each divided into two parts to fit on the size of xray film routinely used).

Planting trials of E. deglupta

Planting trial No. 1 was established on Monday 22 April (Treatments A to F) and Tuesday 23 April 1968 (Treatments G to N). There was heavy rain immediately following planting on the Monday and a light shower in the late afternoon on the Tuesday. A site was inspected in Bridge LA for a second planting trial. Planting trial No 1 was assessed for survival on Tuesday 2 July and a report prepared on 3 July (including the Table at left). The benchmark was “Tubed stock control”, which was stock raised in rigid metal tubes that were removed just before planting. Only the routine stock in plastic tubes with the tubes removed before planting was as successful. Leaving the plastic tube on the seedling at planting time reduced survival. Stock that was too small did not survive as well as normal routine stock.

boots. There was a big windfall for Forest Officers on the resource surveys who were walking 10 to 16 miles (16 to 26 km) or more each day out and back along assessment strip lines. (They also received a daily camping allowance, from which was deducted the pooled expenses of running the camp mess and provision of food that was carried into the filed.) 14 Mainly carried out on 11, 18, 23, 24 and 26 April 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21and 22 May and 17, 18, 21, 24 June. From 24 to 26 May the first batch of density data was transferred to ANU Fortran coding forms and airmailed to the Department of Forestry ANU for punched card preparation and computing. From 20 to 24 June a second and final batch of density data was entered on coding forms and sent to the ANU for punched card preparation and computing. With data for density in all nine of the sample trees complete, the series of programs that I had written and left in Canberra (see earlier) could be applied. Printouts of the results were received at Keravat by airmail later.