23 



downward with a knife some years before the bark is stript. 

 Granular bark is liked better than fibrous bark. Wattle 

 bark must of course be thoroughly dried before being 

 packed and despatched. Drying sheds for the bark are 

 therefore necessary in those parts of the Colony subject to 

 late Spring or Summer rains. Bark well stored in a dry 

 place increases slightly in tannin percentage. 



Curiously enough the figure " 5 " is the Wattle-planters' 

 golden number. It supplies nearly all his working 

 data : 



Seed costs, per Ib. ... ... ... 5d. 



Quantity of seed to sow per acre ... 5 Ibs. 



If plants are used a good planting 



distance is ... 5 ft. x 5 ft. 



Acacia decurrens and Acacia pycnantha 



should grow in height per year 



about ... ... ... *,. 5 ft. 



Bark stripping should begin in ... 5 years. 



When the diameter of well-grown 



trees of the above kinds should 



be 5 inches. 



:Safe estimate of yield of bark per 



acre ... ... ... ... 5 tons. 



Worth per ton about ... ... 5. 



Every Wattle-planter should obtain a copy of " Wattles 

 and wattle barks," by J. H. Maiden, Chapman, Sydney, 

 Australia. 



Hopkins' Australasian Bee Manual arranges the common 

 Wattles in the following order for bee fodder : 



Acacia lophantha. 

 ,, decurrens. 

 ,, deallata. 

 ,, pycnantha. 

 ,, longifolia, 

 ,, melanoyxlon. 



Acacia saligna is valuable not only for bee fodder, but in 

 its profuse seeding for feeding fowls, and its young shoots 

 form excellent grazing for all animals. 



The common Wattles mature in from 5 to 10 years. 



