Mr. C. 1. Musson writes in the Hawkeslury Agricultural College Journal 

 for 1904 : 



Another colour peculiarity is found in a bright yellow or orange strip, 

 crossing the angle formed by the brandies in Acacia decurrens. Here is the- 

 spot mostly attacked by borers. Is there toughening tissue present? 



Many of my readers have observed this coloration in A. decurrens. Its 

 function is not obvious, and, I draw attention to it since it is one of the- 

 innumerable morphological indications which we are not yet able to interpret,, 

 and the key to the physiology of such marking may be found by the observant 

 bush-naturalist. It may appear to be a little thing; but the science of 

 botany is built up by " little " observations, often by untrained men. 



An interesting study is W. W. Froggatt's " Insects of the Wattle-trees,"" 

 in the Agricultural Gazette of Xew South Wales for 1902. Unfortunately 

 our wattles are very liable to insect pests, but this causes them to be of 

 special interest to entomologists. 



A. decurrens yields an important tan-bark in most of the States, and 

 every encouragement should be given to its cultivation. This wattle 

 and the South Australian A. pycnantha will supplement each other, the 

 former nourishing in situations too damp and cold for the latter. Varieties 

 of A. (lecurn')is arc at pi*t -sent abundant on some Crown and other lands in 

 various districts of the State, where thousands, and, perhaps millions, of 

 seedlings may be sometimes seen, forming a dense, useless brush, liable to 

 destruction by bush fires. In these localities we do not require to sow seed, 

 but to use the tomlahawk. They should be thinned out freely, to admit light 

 and air to the most promising seedlings, which will then have some chance- 

 of forming trees capable of carrying a merchantable amount of bark. In 

 many places selectors wage war against this tree, simply looking upon it 

 as a troublrsimir wt-cd. They should try the thinning process, leaving the- 

 most shapely trees. They will find that wattle scrub (of the right kinds^ 

 will become of value, instead of a nuisance. 



Mr. J. E. Brown stated that, in South Australia, this species is much: 

 less hardy than A. pycnantha, but in other States this is not the general 

 experience. Baron von Mueller recommends planting of A. decurrens in- 

 worn-out lands overrun with sorrel. It is fond of moisture, and not of too- 

 much heat. The Baron also gives its rate of growth as about 1 inch in 

 diameter every year. Mr. J. E. Brown mentions some treees^in South 

 Australia 30 feet high and 8 inches in diameter, only 5 years of age, and 

 I can record similar experience near Sydney. It is rather liable to attacks 

 by borers. It is a useful tree for making a quick-growing shelter for 

 vineyards, orchards, &c. 



Cult u ml Xotes. The following notes are, as a rule, directly based upon 

 observation with the mollis variety of Acacia decurrens, but are more or 

 less applicable to all varieties of decurrens. 



Mr. Evan Erancis writes: 



In a garden in Been, a few years ago. I sowed seeds of Black Wattle on 1st 

 September, and on the 1st January, following, plants were measured 11 and 12 

 feet high : this, for four months, was enormous growth. 



Following is an account of a New Zealand correspondent (Waiknto, 

 Auckland), of his experience in regard to this variety, which may be useful 

 for the guidance of others in similar localities: 



I have about 5 or 6 acres of moUissima. I got the seed from Tasmania. 

 They are growing the best of any I have got. They do not make much tap 



