286 THE liLACK WATTLi; INDl'STKN'. 



it will take years of active oi)erations to repair the wastage of 

 war and again arrive at normal conditions, and that if there is 

 meantime rather an accumulation of mature bark, that will be 

 worked off easily while the pressure is still high. 



There used to be a hesitation about Using wattle bark in 

 England, lest the supply would be insufficient, and irregularity in 

 delivery might occur, necessitating the closing down of s]:)ecially 

 prepared appliances, and the return to former materials aufl 

 methods. 



Recent years have proved conclusixely that there need now 

 be no fear about 50.000 tons per aimum being forthcoming, and 

 much more if it is wanted. When the Hon. W. Deane and Mr. 

 Harrison (Acting Trade Commissioner) visited Hamburg in 

 191 o, they found that that market alone could absorb 50.000 tons 

 per annum, at nearly the same rates as were then in force, or 

 100.000 tons on ])rices based on demand and on consideration of 

 V. hat other tan this would displace. 



What may haj^pen after the war, no one can predict, but 

 this is sure: that if the demand existed somewhere in the w^orld 

 in 1910, it still and perpetually will exist, even though worked 

 through other channels, and probably much of that was in addi- 

 tion to the new markets since opened u]). 



Consequently there is an assurance for the grower that he 

 will have a market, and the consumer that he will have a supply. 

 And though the export of extract, and of compressed bark are 

 now accomplished facts, and in daily use, there can be no doubt 

 but that it will take years before the whole of Natal's l)ark 

 products take one or other of these forms, and the grower whc 

 is so placed that he cannot conveniently have his bark shredded 

 or com])ressed or made into extract need have no fear that the 

 market for stick bark or chopped bark is already gone for ever ; 

 such a ])r()cess comes gradually, and necessarily takes a long time. 



The methods of strip])ing and drying the bark, detailed in 

 my i)revious P)ulletin. ro(|uire little to be added further than this: 

 that where it can be done, drying in the open and close to the 

 place of felling is usually less costly than drying in sheds, though 

 (HI inan\ farms the constant use of sheds is an absolute necessity. 



It is found that large and airy sheds are better than any 

 other, and that it is neccssar\' to lie able to close the ^ides to 

 ])revent the entrance of mist where mist i)re\ails. Tlie tinal 

 stages of the drying may be done stacked outside under a roof 

 of 6-ft. iron, if loose pieces of in>n are kept at hand for standing 

 up as sides during rain or mist, or at night, to be taken down 

 rgain as soon as the reason has ])assed. Tliis consideral)ly re- 

 lieves the ])ressure on s])ace inside the drying ^hed, and also 

 keeps apart what is almost dry from what is still \er\- moist. 



The wattle bark, after drying, is usually cut into approxi- 

 mately 2-inch lengths by strong choi)ping machines, many of 

 which are of local manufacture. The stream of chopjjed bark 

 is led direct into sacks, whicli are packed bv sjX'cial |j;icking 

 machines, all made in Natal, which varv from the single-dro]) 



