F0RE8TRY. L161 



tanning processes, and suggestions on what to do with the w 1. The insect ene- 

 mies of black wattle in Hawaii are briefly enumerated by l>. I.. Van hint'. 



The wattle appeal- to thrive best in Hawaii on rather heavy Boils at an elevation 

 of 800 to 3,000 ft., w here the rainfall ranges ii'Miii 80 to 150 in. per annum. The 6-acre 

 tract harvested grew on a ste slope at an elevation of 600 to 800 ft. [t yielded 38 

 tons of l-ark. The 36 tons which were Bold broughl $839.44, and in addition 500 

 fence posts and 88 cords of firewood were secured. The lire won. I «;i- sold foi 1689.25, 

 makingthe total value of the tract a little over $1,600. The trees al thistimehad 

 reached their full developmenl ami during the preceding l years aboul 20 per cent of 

 them had 'lied, some because they had reached their limit of growth, ami others <>n 

 account of injury from stock and insects. 



Under methods of cultivation, it is stated that 1 lb. <«f seed will plant 10 acres. 

 Before planting, the seed Bhould be either covered with boiling water and allowed 

 to stand 24 hours, or scorched in hot ashes to soften the hard outside skin to fecil 

 itate germination. It is considered more economical to plant the seed in place than 

 to sow in nursery rows and transplant. The trees on good -oil should be ready to 

 cut in 10 years. In the station grove trees of the same age varied from I s in. at the 

 butt, when growing on rich soil with heavy rainfall, t<> only in. in diameter on 

 rocky thin soil at a lower and drier elevation. Ten-year-old trees should yield at 

 least loo lbs. of green hark, equal to 50 lbs. of dry hark. It is considered doubtful 

 whether black wattle can he profitably cultivated except on land of fairly good char- 

 acter. 



The best bark was obtained by drying under roofs. The main point seems to be 

 to dry in such a manner that the bark will not mold. Where sufficient^ large 

 areas are to be harvested, the author believes it would pay to build a large drying 

 house carrying temporary slatted floors Is in. apart, on which the green hark, cut 

 into lengths of 2 or 3 in., could be uniformly distributed for drying. 



In investigating the intluenee of climate on the tannin content it was found that 

 in the case of koa bark (Acacia koa I, that taken from trees above Hilo showed 17 per 

 cent tannin, while samples taken from a much drier district showed only 12 per cent 

 Samples of wattle bark taken from tree- growing in a very wet districl showed fully 

 as high tannin content as trees growing in a very dry district. The range of tannin 

 in this bark varied from 25 to 36 percent. No apparent relation was found between 

 the tannin content and the soil or season. The highesl yield, therefore, of tannin 

 per acre can be secured from lands on which the tree- during the normal growth 

 will produce the largest amount of bark, and this is likely to be obtained where the 

 rainfall is sufficiently heavy to afford the trees uninterrupted growth. 



The wood is stated to be hard and tough, and comparable with algeroba in fuel 

 value, but somewhat more difficult to split. It checks in drying. Some suggestions 

 are given on its use in making wood alcohol. It is estimated that 200 acres of 

 ground planted to black wattle would yield 500,000 cu. ft. of wood in pi year-. By 

 distillation this would give a minimum of 1,650 ton- of charcoal. 15,000 gal. of wood 



spirits, 380 tons of acetate of lime, and a large amount of w I tar and creosote, 



having a total value of s44,ooo, while the cosl of production should not exceed 

 $20,000. 



How to prune young- locust and catalpa trees, W.J. Gbebn and ( '. W. Waid 

 (Ohio Sta. Circ. 51, pp. 6 t fig8. S). — Locust tree- are nearly self-pruning. They have a 

 tendency to produce one fork and if this is removed, no attention Deed he paid to the 

 smaller limbs. With the catalpa the authors recommend the cutting off of the tree 



to the level of the ground when 2 or :; year- old and allowing but One Sprout to 



develop from the stump. If the trees have made a good rool growth, they may be 

 cut back the second year, but if not. pruning should he deferred until the third year. 

 Late winter or early Bpring is considered the bee! time for catting back, 



