August r, 18S4.I 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



165 



Steavenson, Esq., Hon. Sec, Agri-Horticultural Society's 

 Gardens, Madras, an institution every possessor of a garden 

 should become a member of. 1 hope to get H. H. to be- 

 come a life member. Apart from the valuable information 

 you get sufficient seeds for an ordinary garden. The 

 seeds were carefully sown in a pot and submerged in a 

 hirge oak tub, but up to the end of the year, I very 

 much regret to say, they did not germinate, although 

 keeping quite fresh. 



H. H. was anxious to have a separate fruit garden situated 

 in a suitable part. We selected a large plot of about six 

 aores in extent at the soutl: side of the gardens and com- 

 menced by planting 200 grafted maugoes received from 

 Agri-Horticultural Society's Gardens, Madras. Tbe plants 

 were despatched in charge of an experienced gardener, and 

 notwithstanding the great distance by rail and road, they 

 arrived in excellent condition. Only one plant out of the 

 lot reached in a sickly state, and eventually died; show- 

 ing the attention and care taken of them on the road. 

 The following are the namesof the plants: — Peter Dilpasand, 

 Komnie and Guava. They were all planted in a large tope 

 with the exception of four or five H. H. had ordered to 

 be planted at the palace, and as there were no grafted 

 mangoes in Meywar, H. H. wished to introduce superior 

 kinds, which will bring a handsome revenue in two or 

 three years, and will be one of the most handsome mango 

 topes in all Rajputana. The gardens contain a large and 

 handsome collection of plants, a good number of them 

 being brought from Madras, Bangalore, Saharanpore and 

 other places. I cannot pass over without mentioning the 

 beautiful peacocks that daily frequent the gardens in 

 hundreds, H. H. ordering maunds of grain to be kept and 

 given to them every morning. Although they are very 

 destructive to vegetables and flowers, &c, their beauty 

 compels us to overlook their destructive habits. 



The baud stand is situated almost in the centre of the 

 gardens, and is a little checked up with trees and flower- 

 ing shrubs at present, and as that part of the garden 

 will be altered, this will be remedied. The band plays 

 every Monday evening, and it is to be regretted the in- 

 habitants of the station don't patronize and encourage 

 the bandsmen by their presence. They often play only 

 to the surrounding scenery and myself. I am glad to 

 say the attendance of late has been much better, as the 

 band is a very fine one. It is well deserving of patronage. 

 — Madras Mail. 



"WATTLE CULTIVATION AS AN INDUSTRY. 



[by acacia.] 



It is no exaggeration to say that the various kinds of 

 acacia usually spoken of under the general term of wattles 

 form one of the most valuable of the natural products 

 of Australian soil. The bark of these trees has for years 

 occupied an important position in the tanning industry, 

 and it may safely be said that the estimation in which 

 it is held is on the increase rather than declining. Side 

 by side with this fact is the important and somewhat 

 distressing circumstance that the yield of bark appears 

 not only to be on the decrease in quantity but also in 

 quality. The reason of this falling-off is not far to seek. 

 In the early days of wattle-stripping the procuration of 

 sufficient bark to meet all requirements was accomplished 

 with comparative ease, inasmuch as wattles were to be 

 found growing here, there, and everywhere. So widespread 

 was the natural habitat of the various sorts of acacias 

 in South Australia that, within the settled districts at all 

 events, it is more difficult to define localities where it 

 did not and would not grow than to name localities where 

 it would and did thrive. A very large proportion of the 

 unalienated lands was more or less covered with wattles, 

 and so great was the area that strippers could find a great 

 deal more bark than they hail time to strip. Gradually, 

 however, as these lands were parted with by the Crowu, 

 the natural growth was burnt off to make way for sheep 

 or wheat until, as is now the case, wattles are considerably 

 reduced numerically, and are only to be found in certain 

 portions of the original area. As a result of this reduction 

 the price of bark went up to a high figure, and the 

 occupation of stripping and selling bark has now become 

 such a profitable one that strippers pursue their avoc- 

 ation without the smallest discrimination whatever, utterly 



regardless of the state of the bark when gathered and 

 quite oblivious to the future supply. Every available wattle- 

 tree within easy distance of a commercial centre is 

 denuded of its bark, and by this wholesale destruction 

 thousands of young trees of perhaps not more than three 

 or four years' growth are cut off before their prime. 

 Such sinful waste cannot be too severely condemued. The 

 bark from these young trees is much inferior in quality 

 to those of mature growth, while the presence of so 

 much juvenile bark in the market, mixed as it usually is 

 with that of better quality, must necessarily tend to lower 

 the value of the whole product in the estimation of the 

 tanning industry. Moreover, it is in the primary stages 

 that the growth of this tree is slowest and the accumulation 

 of tannin at its minimum. As the tree advances in years 

 the proportional growth per annum gradually but surely 

 increases both in bulk as well as in the production of tannin. 

 Such facts as these should be lost sight of by all who 

 are fortunate enough to possess natural wattle plantations, 

 and should deter them from permitting any premature 

 stripping on their estates. The time has now arrived when 

 the systematic preservation and cultivation of wattles as 

 an industry will be attended with most profitable results 

 — results which I firmly believe will place wattle-growing 

 in the front rank of colonial industries from a lucrative 

 point of view. 



Of the acacias which produce the wattle or mimosa 

 bark of commerce there are two species which stand pre- 

 eminent in this colony. These are Acacia pycnantha and 

 Acacia decurrens. The habitat of the former ranges chiefly 

 from the Adelaide hills north as far as Beltana. North 

 of Spalding, however, this species assumes a somewhat 

 stunted form compared with what we are accustomed to 

 see in the Adelaide hills. The leaves of this variety are 

 also narrower or more lanceolate than those of the typical 

 form, and the whole tree is easily recognisable from its 

 stem and branches being usually covered with a hoary or 

 glaucous substance.^ North of the position indicated the 

 tree is generally confined to the more elevated and hilly 

 portions of the colony. The typical form is to be found 

 all along the Mouut Lofty chaiu of hills and the plains 

 from Encounter Bay to north beyond Barossa, while speci- 

 mens are to be met with on Kangaroo Island. The other 

 species named, commonly known as the black wattle, is 

 chiefly confined to the south-eastern portions of the colony. 

 The broad-leaved wattle seldom attains a height of more 

 than 25 feet, with a diameter of 8 inches, although in 

 Brown's ''Forest Flora" it is stated that a tree was 

 felled at the Semaphore lately, 35 feet in height and 18 

 inches in diameter. Acacia decurrens grows to a large 

 tree in the South-East, and may there often be met with 

 over 40 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter. The average 

 yield of bark of the broad-leaf may be put down at about 

 70 lb. for full, well-grown trees, 7 to 8 years of age; 

 while it is not an uncommon thing to get 500 lb. from 

 the black wattle of a similar age. Although the pycnantha 

 is a smaller tree than tbe other and is generally less 

 rapid in growth, its bulk is of greater commercial value, 

 owing to its yielding a larger percentage of tannic acid 

 than the black. The pycnantha on an average yields 

 about 35 per cent of tannic acid, sometimes as much 

 as 40 per cent, while the Acacia decurrens rarely gives 

 more than 25 per cent. The logical inference therefore 

 points towards Acacia decurrens a6 the most profitable 

 for cultivation, as in spite of the lower yield of tannic 

 acid per ton, this disadvantage is fully met by the increased 

 yield per acre. Both trees grow readily in almost any 

 snil, although they seem to have a preference for 

 those of a sandy nature on surface, supported by a good 

 yellow clay subsoil. When grown upon pure sand the 

 Lark is somewhat deficient in tannic acid, being at the 

 same time of a thin nature and too full of sap to pay 

 well for stripping. It is worthy of note that bark stripped 

 from trees which have been grown upon poor stony ground 

 produces the greatest percentage of tannic acid. This is 

 a fact of great importance, as there is an immense area 

 of country in this colony of this nature that has hitherto 

 been classified as unproductive land, but which might 

 with great profit be utilized in the production of these 

 trees. 



Both spr-cii'S attain their prime condition between the 

 ages of -iv uid ic years, according to locality and quality 



