4 WATTLES AND WATTLE-BAEKS. 



Mr. AV. M. Orr, of Sydney, has kindly supplied ine with the following 

 information : " Approximately the sales of bark per week in the Australian 

 Colonies are as follows : 



New South Wales 150 tons. 



Victoria 200 



Queensland ... ... ... ... 50 



South Australia ... ... ... 50 



The following old statistics are of interest : " In 1843, 3,078 tons of 

 mimosa bark were shipped from Port Phillip to Great Britain. The price 

 then realized in the London market was 12 to 14 per ton, but it has 

 since (1854) declined to 8 per ton. The price of chopped mimosa bark 

 in Australia, for export, at the close of 1846 was 2 5s. a ton. Bark 

 valued at 912 was exported from Van Diemeii's Land in 1848. The 

 imports of mimosa bark have only been to a limited extent within the 

 last few years, reaching 350 tons in 1850, against 110 tons in 1849, 

 230 tons in 1848, and 600 tons in 1847. The prices realized were 10 

 to 11 for chopped, 12 to 12 10s. for ground, and 8 to 9 per ton 

 for unchopped bark. Whilst the imports were 3,900 tons in 1844, they 

 dwindled to less than 4.00 tons in 1850." (Simmonds* " Commercial 

 Products of the Vegetable Kingdom," 1854.) 



In the instructions given (1821) by the Admiralty to Sir James Eoss, 

 when proceeding on his Antarctic expedition, his attention was particularly 

 drawn to the astringent substances adapted for tanning, and to the various 

 extracts of bark, &c., imported into England from the Australian Colonies, 

 and which are employed by the tanner. 



The quotations I have made have not historical interest merely ; they 

 show how, in time past as well as now, distant countries have been only 

 too glad to get our wattle bark, but local requirements must first be met, 

 and since we have abundance of hides, the value of an abundant supply 

 of wattle bark to the Australian Colonies can scarcely be overrated. 



