24& 



TUB TUOPICAL AQme^Ltt3ni§% 



[Oct. I; m^. 



special return, the importation of uumanuf;ictured 

 tobacco into Ireland amounted to. 634,()32Jb. This is 

 of uumanufactiired tobacco alone, and mainly for the 

 use of the poorer classes, and exclusive of cigars, 

 which are a luxury for the rich.— Overland Mail. 



AUSTEALIAN WATTLES. 



AN INDIAN POSSIBILITY. 



It is not long, since the planting craze throughout 

 India, was " divt divi" as a source of tannin destined 

 to bring wealth to some and benefit to many by 

 creating a planting industry which it was asserted 

 would meet a world-wide demand. Time, however, 

 has nullified these expectations, and now the 

 ((uestion often asked is " what has become of the 

 divi divi." This negative result has been simply 

 induced by exaggeration, which did harm by raising 

 hopes through promises purely speculative and out- 

 side domain of the feasible and practicable. There 

 can be no doubt that there are various part of 

 India well adapted by nature for the production of this 

 variety of the botanical family called " Coriaria " 

 and the pity is that they have not been utilised 

 for the production of a commerical substance of 

 great value in the arts, commanding a high price 

 everywhere as tannin matter. Had divi divi received 

 three or four years back the attention it needed 

 for development as planting industry, with rumuner- 

 ative aspects, the Australian Colonists would not at 

 the present period be going in for the cultivation 

 of wattles for bark which likewise yield the same 

 material as the divi divi pods, and for which, owing 

 to the falling off in the supply of tannin barks, 

 there is a brisk demand in the markets of Europe. 

 It is stated on good authority that the Australian 

 wattle yields the best material in the world for the 

 purposes of the tanner. The trees known as 

 " wattles" in Australia are indigenous species of 

 acacia, and it is only since past improvidence in 

 regard to this natural product has commenced to 

 tell unfavourably upon the present supply that 

 attention has been devoted to the ijhysical pre- 

 delectious of the plants with a view of cultivating 

 them on a commercial scale. We learn from a 

 Government Report issued under the auspices of the 

 Executive of South Australia— which is the principal 

 habitat of the wattle— that two species are avail- 

 able for cultivation, and that outlay in this direction 

 would give a return for in excess of that which is 

 realized in ordinary indmtrial channels. The first of 

 these — Acacia pycnantha — commonly known as the 

 broad leaf or golden wattle, is the best of the 

 many varieties. It is hardy and quick-growing, 

 nourishing in localities where the rainfall averages 15 

 inches per annum. According to the South Australian 

 Official Report— due to Sir. T. E. Brown, the 

 Conservator of Forests—" this species will grow 

 readily in almost all kinds of soils, but its rate of 

 growth is most rapid in those of a sandy character 

 while at the same time the largest trees and the 

 be»t bark is produced on sites where the soils is 

 .•sandy on top and of a good retentive clay in the 

 ijub-soil. Mr. Brown adds, that '"with this tree we 

 have the means of making our poorest soils yield 

 valuable crops, instead of their lying idle and worth- 

 less." For of all the Acacias the bark from this 

 variety yields the largest percentage of tannic acid. 

 The other of two species referred to Acacia 

 dccuinn^, called the Black AVattIc, " delights in 

 sandy soil with clay sub-soil; but it attains its largest 

 dimensions upon a black alluvial soil of great depth, 

 and where there is great percolation of moisture." 

 It will even grow in situations where the soil is 

 almost pure sand. The cultivation of this variety 

 can. however, only be recommended in more moist 

 and temperate regions than those which favour the 

 growth of the broad leaf or golden wattle. In other 

 words, it will not grow satisfactorily and as a pay- 

 able crop in places when the rainfall is below 15 

 inches annually. This variety is not so rich in 

 tannin as the broad-leaf wattle, yet it is three 

 times more valuable ae a tauDiog agent tbau 



English oak bark. These two species of the 

 Australian wattle, therefore, offer the best recommend- 

 ations for Indian cultivation. The broad-leaf wattle 

 only attaius a height of 25 feet and 12 inches iu 

 diameter, whereas, the black wattle grows to a 

 height of 40 or uH feet and to diameter, of 20 

 inches. The latter is therefore sooner available for 

 stripping, which, in either case, should not be 

 attempted before the expiration of seven years from 

 seeding. The bavk now sells at £S7 per ton ; and, 

 since 10 lbs. of bark is the lowest yield per tree, 

 and 1,000 trees may be easily planted to the acre, 

 the profits derivable from wattle cultivation are 

 therefore found to be highly remunerative. "We have 

 no doubt that wattles might be i^rofitably cultivated 

 in India. Considering the vast extent of wasteland 

 suitable for the purpose in the country and facil- 

 ities it affords generally for this class of industry, 

 the possible becomes very probable that not only 

 the European planter but the Indian ryot would 

 find this a good field for investment. — Indian Agri' 

 cultural Gazette. 



Surface Culture in Fruit Farming. — According to 

 Mr. Kruse, of Yew Tree farm, near Maidstone, fruit- 

 growing best succeeds when the roots not interfered 

 with are left to multiply and interlace, and so take 

 advantage of the upper and more nutritive soil. So 

 he practically uses only the common garden hoe and 

 the pruning-kuife, aided by an abundant top-dressing, 

 mainly of bones crushed to quarter-incli size. As 

 much as from £10 to £13 per acre is yearly .spent on 

 manure which is simply placed on the surface of the 

 soil. According to a correspondent of Tlie Field, the 

 results have this year been very gratifying, as regards 

 strawberries, gooseberries, black currants, as well as 

 apples, cherries, and damsons. — Journal of Forestry/. 



Lord Tor.i.EMACHE's Estate Management. — On these 

 extensive domains in Cheshire and Suffolk extending to 

 about 33,000 acres, there are 250 cottages each with 

 three acres attached, so that the occupant may keep 

 a cow. There are also fiftv-one farms averaging 25 

 acres, some of which are in the hands of carpenters, 

 blacksmiths, and other artisans residing on the pro- 

 perty. There are besides fifty houses built by other 

 resident tradesmen on ninety-nine years' leasss. This 

 admixture of large and small holdings yields the 

 happiest results. — Journal of Forestn/. [And will con- 

 tinue to do so while the tenants are intelligent, sober, 

 provident and industrious, conditions which would 

 beneficially affect even the wretched Hebridean crofters. 

 —Ed.] 



Coconut Toilkt Soaps. — Some interesting inform- 

 ation on the jireparation of cheap coconut toilet !<oaps 

 comes to us from Herr Eichmann, who discusses the 

 so called "filling" of soaps made from coconut oil. 

 Soaps charged with soluble glass, although at first 

 presenting a fine, transparent appearance, gradually 

 dry up to and become coated with a solid crust. More- 

 over, he assures us that such soaps are apt to act rather 

 injuriously upon the skin of the persons who use them. 

 Salt solutions, having a specific gravity of 15° \o 20", 

 Baume, are occasionally used in conjunction v/ith soluble 

 glass. The behaviour of potash solutions is similar to 

 that presented by soluble glass. Talc is used either 

 alone, or in admixture with .soluble glass, for the "filling" 

 of inferior toilet soaps. Where it is employed, it is 

 mixed with a small quantity of coconut oil, and then 

 added to the whole charge of oil- The same writer 

 offers some remarks on curd soaps, from which we 

 glean that for the preparation of a good curd soitj) 

 with a sih'ery fracture, we should boil TOO kilogrammes 

 of tallow with soda-ley of 16° B. to a clear jelly, and 

 introduce 450 of palm nut oil, and U)0 kilogrammes 

 of coconut oil with the requisite quantity of cau.stic 

 ley at 23* B. The mixture is then boiled until a clear 

 jelly, free from froth, is obtained. After the laps of 

 two hours, any scum that may have found its way to 

 the surface is removed, and the product is salted or i)rc- 

 cipitated respectively with salt solution of 20^ B., or 

 caustic soda-ley of 40" B.—Buryoyn ^ Co.'s Jlonthly Ex- 

 port Price Current. 



