13 



superior to any other, but the habit of the tree is not so advan- 

 tageous, being of slower growth, and it does not attain such large 

 dimensions as the black and silver species. For tanning purposes 

 the silver wattle is generally discarded. It is nevertheless occa- 

 sionally stripped and mixed with other barks. It grows freely on 

 the sides of creeks and rivers, and on wet, marshy soil, and the bark 

 is weak in tanning material. The black wattle is of vigorous, 

 robust habit, and for commercial purposes is equal to the broad-leaf 

 species. It is in general demand, a regular supply having always 

 been obtained from various parts of the colony. It is met with 

 all over the Western district, in the north-east, and also in Gipps- 

 land. From the rapidity of its growth, and the ease with which 

 it can be stripped during the proper season, the Board consider 

 that for all practical purposes it is desirable to cultivate this species 

 either alone or with the broad-leaf wattle. 



Other tan substances have been mentioned as being employed 

 in the tanning trade, the trees and shrubs producing which, how- 

 ever, are not indigenous to Victoria. As many of the tan materials 

 from these trees are of high value, and indispensable to tanners, 

 the Board incidentally elicited all the information available on the 

 subject. In the opinion of the Baron von Mueller, Government 

 Botanist, most of the trees known to be of practical utility for tan- 

 ning purposes may be cultivated and successfully grown in the 

 colony. The fullest information is given on the point in Appendix 

 A, which Baron von Mueller has compiled in his capacity as a 

 member of the Commission. The evidence of all the witnesses 

 examined, with regard to these tan materials, went to prove that 

 large quantities were consumed in this colony every year for the 

 purpose of producing different kinds of leather. " Cutch " - also 

 termed " terra japonica" is a tan preparation which cannot be 

 obtained in this colony at less than 20 per ton. It is obtained 

 from the Indian acacias, and resembles in character a watery extract 

 obtained from the bark of Victorian wattles. The latter being 

 pure as against the imported cutch, which is usually met with in 

 an adulterated form, is of superior strength, giving a return equal 

 to 45 per cent, of tannin. The attention of bark-strippers should 

 be directed to this fact with a view of inducing them to work up 

 much of the waste bark left on the stripping ground. Measures 

 for the utilisation of the Victorian bark in this way would be 

 widely beneficial, as a new article of export would be added to the 

 productions of the colony. 



To maintain as nearly as possible an uniform standard in the 

 tan strength of bark, a certain part of the year must be set apart 

 as a season for stripping. By the adoption of such a method the 

 supply and quality of the barks could be better regulated than has 

 hitherto been possible. Trees would have a better chance to 



