Naturalisation in Extra-Tropical Countries. 9 



Acacia macrantha, Bentham. 



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

 tree, usually small, provides the " Cuji-pods " for tanning [Sim- 

 monds] . 



Acacia BXelanoxylon, K. Brown.* 



South-Eastern. Australia. Ascends to subalpine country. Gene- 

 rally known as Blackwood-tree, passing also under the inappro- 

 priate name of Lightwood-tree. 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 valuable for furniture, railroad-cars 

 and carriages, boat building (stem and stern-post, ribs, rudder), for 

 tool-handles, crutches, stethoscopes, some portions of the work of 

 organ-builders, billiard-tables, pianofortes (for sound-boards, and 

 actions) and numerous other purposes; it has also come into use 

 for casks, which need however previous long soaking. Planks 12 

 feet by 4 feet are occasionally obtainable for select purposes. 

 Specific gravity of the dry wood 0.664-0. 777. Mr. Speight reports 

 it for railway-carriages better adapted than almost any other 

 timber, and far less costly ; wood from hilly country is also in this 

 instance superior to that from low and particularly wet localities. 

 The fine -grained wood is cut into veneers ; it takes a fine polish, 

 and is considered almost equal to walnut. The best wood in Vic- 

 toria for bending under steam ; it does not warp and twist. 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. The 

 bark contains up to 20 per cent, mimosa-tannin. The tree has 

 proved, with A. mollissima and A. dealbata, hardy in the Isle of 

 Arran [Rev. D. Landsborough] . 



Acacia microbotrya, Bentharu. 



South- Western Australia. The " Badjong." A comparatively 

 tall species, the stem attaining a diameter of 1 to If feet. It 

 prefers river- valleys, and lines brooks naturally. According to Mr. 

 Geo. Whitfield, a single tree may yield 50 Ibs. of gum in a season. 

 The aborigines store the gum in hollow trees for winter use ; it is 

 of a pleasant, sweetish taste. 



Acacia mollissima, Willdenow.* 



South-Eastern Australia, extending to Tasmania. Black Wattle. 

 It seems best, to re-adopt the systematic names, by which our three 

 principal feather-leaved wattles were distinguished during the first 

 half of the century. Not so tall, nor quite as hardy as A. deal- 

 bata. The price of Wattle-bark in London has occasionally risen 

 to 17. For tan-bark A. mollissima is the best. Mr. Dickinson 

 states that he has seen 10 cwt. of fresh bark obtained from a single 

 tree of gigantic dimensions at Southport. A quarter of a ton of bark 



