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Acacia cultriformis. CITLTRIFOEMIS WATTLE. 



A bushy ornamental Wattle of no value for bark. It 

 has a small prickly leaf shaped liked the coulter of a plow. 

 It bears a profusion of yellow flowers like the golden 

 Wattles, and being a small shrub is more suited for 

 garden culture. 



Acacia decurrens. BLACK WATTLE. 



Prof. Maiden distinguishes four varieties of this valuable 

 species merging one into the other, acd all equally valuable 

 for bark. Foresters will perhaps more readily classify them 

 under two types : 



1) The open -leaved. 



2) The close-leaved. 



The variety that has been so largely grown in Natal 

 belongs to the closed-leaved type and is termed mollis or 

 mollisima. This has the widest range in Australia and is 

 that which is most generally useful for planting in South 

 Africa. The Black-wattle has a feather-leaf, somewhat 

 resembling the Cape Keur. Till lately it was so badly 

 attacked by the Dorthesia that it was useless to plant 

 it in the Cape Peninsula. The advent of the Vedalia has 

 rendered it possible once more to plant the Black-wattle. 

 On the barren Knysna moorland it grows with a vigour 

 surpassing that of every other tree. Knysna bark yielded 

 21 per cent, of tannin. The analyses of Natal bark are 

 good vide, " Wattle Bark a Paying Industry, by G. M. 

 Sutton, M.L.A.," Davis & Sons, Maritzburg. In Australia 

 A. decurrens bark assays from 15 to 54 per cent, of tannin. 

 The average of 22 analyses was 32 per cent. (Maiden). 



A. decurrens is the best Wattle to plant at some distance 

 from the coast, especially in cool mountainous situations. 

 It* grows luxuriantly on the poor moorland of the 

 mountains known as " Zuurveldt." A full-grown tree 

 should yield about 1 cwt. of bark. A big tree will yield 

 up to half a ton of bark. Trees 60 feet high and 2 feet in 

 diameter have been cut in Australia. In buying seed care 

 must be taken to secure the true black Wattle and not the 

 silvery white A. dealbaia, which is of less value for 



