284 THE I!LACK WATTLE JXDrSTRV. 



Up to 191 5, about 12.000 acres were planted with wattles 

 in British East Africa, of which very Httle was then mature, 

 but it is anticipated that the export of wattle bark mav increase 

 considerably about 191 7. 



In view of the above figures, the S.A. Trade Commissioner's 

 Report is inexplicable, and evidently founded on error, as even 

 taking mangrove and wattle together, or either separately, the 

 figures he gives are far beyond the fact, so far as British East 

 Africa is concerned. 



Concerning German East Africa, I have no figures except 

 those given by him, which I believe to be all wrong. 



In India the various wattles were introduced many years 

 ago, but no systematic cultivation has ever been done. 



Gamble (1902) states: "Nothing seems to have been done 

 on the Nilghiris, where the wattle is a weed, and miles 

 of it can be grown at a very small cost, and cut over at five years' 

 rotation." Probably this is because A. dcalhafa seems to be most 

 abundant. The various Forest Inspectors' reports up to 1908 

 show that the same condition still holds, and I have no later in- 

 formation. Samples of A. pycnaiitha and A. dccurrens from 

 the Nilghiris, analysed in India, were found to contain 33.8 and 

 33.4 per cent, of tannin respectively, which does not go to support 

 the popular theory that all tanning materials are richer in tan the 

 hotter the country in which they are ])roduced ; and ccMiiparison 

 of Natal's coast and upland wattle contents, so far as I know, 

 also fails to support that theory. 



Ceylon and Japan have both been buyers of Natal wattle 

 bark, not growers so far. japan used a good deal during its war 

 with Russia. 



In the United States of America, the value of land not 

 subject to severe frosts is too high under fruit and lucerne to 

 admit of wattle meantime on other than experimental scale, but 

 in the American island Hawaii, where it has l)een growing for 

 about 50 years, and ai)])arently does well, the harvesting of the 

 first and only six-acre block in 1905, raised ratlier a sensation, 

 and brought out Bulletin No. ii, 1906, of the Hawaii Agricul- 

 tural Experimental Station, by J. C. Smith, which shows that 

 when 13 \ears old, 3<S tons of bark were olitained from the six 

 acres. 



Jn .South America, I am not aware of any i)laniing. 



In the eastern part of Cai)e Colony there are jjossibly 10,000 

 acres altogether, but the industry is not increasing rajjidly there, 

 owing to the higli grazing \alue of nmcli of \W climatically 

 suitable areas. 



In the Eastern Transvaal there are a few thousand acres 

 mostly approaching harvesting condition, which, unless special 

 arrangements can be made, will be severely handicai)ped so far 

 as bark is concerned, by long rail freight, or the use of a foreign 

 port. A Transvaal tanning com])any is the suggested remedy. 



Thus it happens that Natal has had. and is likely to retain, 

 for the present, nearly a mono])oly in this culture. 



