i66 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[August i, 1884. 



of soil. When they are grown on the sandy soil, i.e., 

 with clay bottom, they come in for stripping about the 

 sixth year, while on the stony ground it may safely be 

 asserted that the trees would not mature and pay — "pay" 

 meaning the fullest return obtainable from the tree — to 

 strip before the eighth year. Attention may have been 

 called to the immense amount of pigface country along 

 our southern coastline on the one hand, and tht? numbers 

 of rocky patches scattered over the inland country, both 

 of which are suitable for profitable wattle growing. Touchiug 

 the methods of cultivation, sandy soil being of a loose 

 nature, the crop should be put in with the plough by 

 ploughing strips eighteen inches broad and four feet apart 

 to a depth of about four inches. The seed should then 

 be dropped in about three feet apart along the rows. 

 For the first two years after the. crop has been sown the 

 ground betwixt the rows should be regularly ploughed or 

 scarified, for the more the land is stirred the more moisture 

 will find its way to the roots, ensuring quicker growth, 

 while ploughing will at all times prove a very valuable 

 ally against fire. The latter item is worthy of note, for 

 I believe I am correct in saying that the various insurance 

 offices do not accept wattle risks although far safer than 

 the wheat crops so* readily accepted. By adopting this 

 method of cultivation it is calculated that at least two 

 years will be saved in the maturing of the plants than 

 if left to Dame Nature. About the second year pruning 

 must be taken in hand. The rows should be taken in 

 hand systematically, and all large lateral branches which 

 may appear to be interfering with the upward growth of 

 the plant should come off. This operation should be re- 

 peated during the third year, after which the trees, partly 

 from the effect of this operation and partly by their 

 proximity to one another, will attain that straight upward 

 tendency of growth which must necessarily be regarded 

 as one of the principal features of a successful wattle 

 plantation, because it is only from straight trees that 

 the bark can be removed with facility, and as a natural 

 consequence the price payable for stripping reduced to 

 its lowest ebb. It may be here noted that the bark which 

 produces the greatest percentage of tannic acid is that 

 which grows on the stem of the tree, and therefore the 

 system of cultivation should be directed to produce as 

 large a bulk of stem as possible, with the least amount 

 of liberal growth in the shape of branches as is consistent 

 with the proper health of the trees. This can only be 

 obtained by thick planting in the first instance, and early 

 pruning as above indicated in the second place. From care- 

 ful experiments made it has been ascertained beyond doubt 

 that at least 25 per cent more of tannic acid can be pro- 

 cured from a well-pruned tree than from one left to its 

 own devices, involving that branchy growth which is one 

 of the principal characteristics of the tree. 



In the method of planting indicated above, planting at 

 a distance of four feet apart has been advocated, but I 

 must here state that many authorities, among whom I 

 may mention the Conservator of Forests, advocate planting 

 at a distance of eight feet apart in the first instance, 

 and filling up between these rows at the end of the 

 third year. Of course, as wattle cultivation is a thing of 

 the future, experience only can decide on what is at pre- 

 sent an open question. 



On rocky soil, of course, the same method of cultivation 

 cannot be followed that is feasible on that of a sandy 

 nature, and it is necessary to substitute the spade for 

 the plough. This is, of course, assuming the soil to be 

 of a hard nature. If, however, the soil is of a loose nature 

 it will be found sufficient to sow the seed broadcast after 

 a heavy fall of rain, and the success will be all the more 

 assured if a flock of sheep be run over the area four or 

 five times. This plan has been successfully carried out by 

 the Forest Department in the South-East at Mount Burr. 

 The next item of importance is the preparation of seed. 

 When this is intended to be covered, either in ploughed 

 ground or by the spade, the plan of scalding the seed 

 has been found to answer the purpose admirably. The 

 simplest way of scalding the seed is to pour almost boil- 

 ing water upon it. The seed should then be left to soak 

 for about forty-eight hours, and afterwards sweated in a 

 damp bag until quite soft. For broadcast sowing on the 

 surface, however, this dpes not give good results, because 

 the seed being half-germinated a change of the weather 



to dryness is sure to result in a stoppage in germination, 

 and consequently, from want of moisture, causes the young 

 shoots to "damp-off," and the seed decays. In order to 

 obviate this, and prepare the seed all ready for germination 

 in such a manner that it will be independent of any sort 

 of weather, the plan has been adopted of cracking the 

 outer hard covering of the seed by the means of 

 slow firing without partial germination, so that the seed 

 can be sown upon the ground, and lie there without in- 

 jury until sufficient rain falls to make it germinate. In 

 this manner the seed can be sown two or three months 

 before winter, and thus will be in readiness to benefit 

 by the first rains of the season, and consequently the young 

 plants will, before the rainy season is over, have attaiued 

 such a hold upon the ground that their safety is secured 

 during the following dry season. An explanation of the 

 system adopted will be apropos. A high heap of wood is 

 formed and fired; when this has smouldered down to a 

 common expiring condition of red coals and ashes, the 

 seed is thrown into the heap and the whole stirred up 

 and allowed to remain until the fire goes out. The embers 

 arc then raked in a heap, and the ashes and seed bagged 

 together ready for sowing broadcast. There is no doubt 

 that this system is only following out what we see 

 in nature, as all colonists have no doubt noticed that 

 when branches or debris or a wattle-tree have been burned, 

 numerous young trees spring up as a matter of course. Fol- 

 lowing out this system, it is only necessary when indigenous 

 wattle plantations are conserved to burn up the branches of 

 the trees which have been stripped in order to secure a 

 luxuriant young crop. This method has been successfully 

 carried out at the Mount Brown Forest Reserve. 



From recent analyses it appears that although the bark 

 upon the trunk of the tree produces the largest percent- 

 age of tannic acid, that upon the branches and twigs, as 

 well as the leaves themselves, and to a certain extent the 

 wood of the tree, contain a fan- percentage of tannin. In 

 some cases a greater percentage of tannic acid was obtained 

 from the twigs and branches than is procurable from the 

 best English oakbark (which, by the way, is very difficult 

 to strip). This fact opens a question. Cannot we utilize 

 the tannic acid which, under the present system, is allow- 

 ed to go to waste on the ground ? It is well known to 

 all colonists that hitherto strippers of this bark seldom or 

 never attempt to remove it from the branches, and it has 

 been calculated that in consequence of this, of every one 

 which has been or is being stripped, at least one-third of 

 its tannic acid has been allowed to go to waste. Looking 

 at this fact then, and also bearing in mind that however 

 well the trees may be cultivated and pruned under the system 

 recommended, there must always be a considerable quantity 

 of branches and leaves, it is thought that when the wattle 

 is cultivated as a commercial crop some means should be 

 adopted whereby the tannic acid in this debris could be 

 utilized, and the idea has been broached that this might 

 be effected by a boiling-down system. Huge tanks could 

 be constructed, into winch every portion of the tree could 

 be placed "after being chopped up, and the tannic acid 

 extracted. The plan seems feasible enough, and if it can 

 be profitably carried out as suggested, possibiy it could 

 be improved on so as to place the tree in whole without 

 any chopping whatever. Enormous saving from its adop- 

 tion must necessarily ensue; less cost than stripping, in 

 the first place; considerable economy in carting to market; 

 less bulk for export; no loss from pruning. In addition 

 to these advantages the pap would eventually come in 

 either for paper-making or manure. As, however, this 

 plan has not yet been adopted, I cannot submit figures 

 in a balance-sheet. Before submitting an estimate on the 

 probable results of wattle cultivation as an industry, I 

 would like to refer to two pamphlets on the subject al- 

 ready in print. One of these is termed "Wattle Bark," 

 and is substantially a report of the Board of Enquiry 

 appointed in Victoria ; the other is termed " Wattle Farm- 

 ing," and is written by Dr. Schomburgk, and published 

 by the Chamber of Manufactures. The former is devoted 

 almost entirely to the rise and progress of the wattle- 

 bark trade of Victoria, and the evidence of some two hundred 

 witnesses who were examined. Into this I will not dip, 

 but an appendix to the work gives a statement showing 

 the profit to be derived from the systematic cultivation 

 of wattles compiled as a result of the enquiries instituted, 



