6 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Acacia implexa, Bentham. 



Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland. A tree of middle size, 

 content with poor soil. Wood firm and close, dark-brown with 

 yellowish stripes ; much in demand for turnery, cog-wheels, and 

 other purposes which need tenacity and strength (Dickinson). 

 Bark available for tanneries. 



Acacia leiophylla, Bentham.* (A. saligna, Beiitharn non Wendland). 



South- West Australia, where it is the principal tree chosen for 

 tanners' bark. It is a wide-spreading small tree, fit for avenues. 

 The bark contains nearly 30 per cent, of mimosa- tannin, and is 

 extensively used by tanners in West Australia. The price of fair 

 West Australia gum-arabic was from 46s. to 49s. per cwt. in 

 London in 1879. The tree has proved in Algeria to resist the 

 sirocco better than most species (Dr. Bonand). A. cyanophylla 

 (Lindley) is a closely allied species, serving the same purposes. 



Acacia longifolia, Willdenow. 



South-Eastern Australia. This tree is introduced into this list 

 inasmuch as the very bushy variety known as A. Sophorse (R. 

 Brown) renders most important services in subduing loose coast- 

 sand ; it should therefore be disseminated on extensively bare sand- 

 shores. To the recommendations of this bush can be added that it 

 grows so quickly. The bark of A. longifolia is only half as good as 

 that of A. decurrens for tanning, and used chiefly for sheep-skins. 

 The tree is however also of quick growth 20 to 30 feet in 5 to 6 

 years (Hartmann). 



Acacia macrantha, Bentham. 



From Mexico to Argentina ; also in the Galapagos Group. This tree, 

 usually small, provides the " Cuji-pods" for tanning (Simmonds). 



Acacia melanoxylon, R Brown."* 



The well-known Blackwood of our river flats and moist forest 

 valleys, passing also under the inappropriate name of Light Wood. 

 In irrigated glens of deep soil the tree will attain a height of 80 

 feet, with a stem several feet in diameter. The wood is most valu- 

 able for furniture, railway and other carriages, boat-building (stem 

 and stern post, ribs, rudder), for tool-handles, crutches, some portion 

 of the work of organ-builders, casks, billiard-tables, pianofortes 

 (for sound-boards and actions), and numerous other purposes. The 

 fine-grained wood is cut into veneers. It takes a fine polish, and 

 is considered almost equal to Walnut. Our best wood for bending 

 under steam, it does not warp and twist. Our local experiments 

 gave the strength in transverse strain of Blackwood equal to 

 Eucalyptus wood of middling strength, approaching that of the 

 American White Oak, and surpassing that of the Kauri. 



