WATTLES AND WATTLE-BARKS. 

 B. INCOME. 



* Every third tree stripped. 



OBJECTIONS TO WATTLE-GROWING CONSIDERED. 



I quote the following extract from a letter from a gentleman living in the 

 Grlen Innes district, who perused the first edition of this pamphlet. It is a 

 thoughtful letter from one who has had some experience in the matter con- 

 cerning which he writes. It places the difficulties (partly general, and partly 

 founded on local considerations), in a clear light, and I will proceed to deal 

 with them seriatim, for convenience. The subject of wattle-growing will 

 "bear calm discussion, for we have much to learn in regard to it yet : 



"There are two methods of planting suggested by this pamphlet. First, 

 by careful cultivation, which would be costly, and second, by broad-cast 

 sowing, without much expense. 



" To adopt the former method here, I should say, would be to result in 

 failure, as I should think the land is far too heavily timbered (1)* to allow of 

 the ground being cleared and cultivated, and if merely sown broadcast, as by 

 the second plan, I cannot see how the young trees could be protected from 

 being destroyed by fire. (2) ' The author of the pamphlet suggests planting on 

 the poorest soil' even where grass never grows (3), but my experience here is 

 that even the poorest country, when fenced off from stock, and with the usual 

 amount of rain, we get a great deal of undergrowth and coarse grass will 

 grow, thus always being a source of danger to the young plantation, and 

 leaving its fate to the tender mercy of the flames. I have tried a few seeds 

 of the better kinds of wattle, amongst others A. decurrens, but could not 

 get them to live through more than one or two winters (4), and I have noticed 

 lately that a great number of wattle trees, known as " hickory," seem appa- 

 rently killed, I presume by the frost. 



" I will, however, plant the seeds you kindly sent (though I suppose the best 

 results could not be expected, as the pamphlet recommends the beginning 



* The objections which are numbered (1), (2), &c., are dealt with seriatim at the close 

 of the letter. 



