282 T1I1£ r-.LACK WATTLK I .\ DL'STKV. 



shredded bark bales and tons of dry bagged extract leaving 

 Natal, and opening new markets and new possibilities i^reviously 

 only dreamed about. 



Till lately, the wattle grower has thought of bark as the 

 product, and timber as the bye-product ; now he finds he can 

 come out as well on timber as the product, and bark as the bye- 

 product. 



He used to rely entirely on Germany as his market ; now he 

 relies on all places except Germany, and still there is a demand 

 for all the bark that shipping can be got for. 



Till now he has thought of the oversea market as his only 

 outlet ; to-day the export of beef and consequent abundance of 

 best hides, scientifically handled in bulk, at one or a few centres, 

 instead of dry salted separately with no attention when a beast 

 dies on the farm, opens the way to the production in Natal, from 

 Natal materials entirely, and by Natal labour, of as valuable 

 leather as can be produced elsewhere, and the creation of another 

 indtistry. 



There are also those now who have found out that beyond 

 its value for bark and timber, the wattle can be used as a poli- 

 tical handle, and that if they plant enough wattles in some remote 

 and outlandish place, where land and labour cost next to nothing, 

 there is a prospect that the Government later on will send a rail- 

 way to the door, and the price of land will jump straight oft" 

 from IDS. to £5 per acre. 



It is the rare combination of a few simple factors which 

 has given Natal its monopoly in this industry. It has suitable 

 climate, suitable land which is not more valuable in anything else, 

 suitable and low-priced labour, and the right men to direct that 

 labour ; these are all the special requisites. Australia and New 

 Zealand ha\'e all other conditions, but labour is too expensive; 

 in the few parts of the United States where climate is stiitable, 

 land is too valuable under fruit and lucerne tmtil the supply of 

 (>ther local tan producers is more com])letely depleted. In 

 tropical Africa, the usual demand of new countries for immediate 

 leturns has so far prevented extensive plantation of wattles; in 

 India, the industry has not taken on ; in the Mediterranean con- 

 servatism, and in South America the absence of conservatism 

 have ])revented even a start being made ; in Cape Province land 

 suital)le for wattles is often more vakiable for stock-raising, and 

 in the North-Eastern Transvaal long freight, or a Portuguese 

 ])ort are adverse influences. 



As the local grower often wishes to know what is actually 

 Ijeing done elsewhere, the following facts, which have been 

 ascertained may be recorded : — 



Australia has suitable areas, but labour conditions are pro- 

 hil)itive. conse(|uently no commercial jilanting of wattle has been 

 done. 'I~hc natural wattle .scrubs are. in some jilaces, being 

 felled for bark with some regularity, and natural regeneration 

 without culture or labour is allowed to replace stock. This is 

 e([ui\'alent to the method once prevalent here of leaving regener- 



