28 



iDorthesia have destroyed it in many places. The advent 

 of the Vedalia has restored the Blackwood to our list of 

 useful trees to plant. It succeeds best in cool mountainous 

 situations and on moist, even boggy soil. // is specially a 

 tree that does well on the sour veld of the mountains and 

 moorlands. It is one of the few planted trees that has 

 proved hardy on the poor washed-out, peaty, soil, on the top 

 of Table Mountain. On the Nilgiri mountains, S. India, it 

 had an acre-increment of 6 tons (dry wood) per year half 

 that of the Blue-gum. It was more shade-bearing than the 

 Blue-gum. Do not plant the Blackwood (as has often been 

 done) in hot, dry situations. 1,440 seeds go to the ounce. 



Acacia pycnantha. PYCNANTHA WATTLE. 



This is the "Wattle with thick broad leaves (phyllodes) 



and a profusion of beautiful yellow flowers from which the 



name " Golden Wattle" is derived. It assays from 15 per 



-cent, to 46 per cent, of tan. The average of 20 analyses 



was 34-4 per cent. (Maiden). A sample grown on fair soil 



.at Tokai yielded the somewhat disappointing result of 27 



per cent, of tannic acid. A sample of young bark from 



Knysna yielded 25 per cent, of tannin. 



It succeeds best in warm dry localities near the coast : 

 and, on a loam or sandy loam, runs up rapidly to a small 

 tree about 30 ft. high. On nearly pure sand the growth is 

 uncertain; sometimes slow, and sometimes almost nil, as 

 on the rocky slopes of Table Mountain above Woodstock. 

 Perhaps it may average about one-half that of A. saligna 

 in the Government plantations on the Cape Flats. In the 

 barren Knysna moorlands it grows well. The growth there 

 is so rapid and vigorous that during the first two or three 

 years it surpasses that of the Blue-gum and is nearly equal 

 to Acacia decurrens. 



The Pycnantha Wattle requires from moderate to heavy 

 winter rains and a loamy soil. We see it flouri shing with from 

 30 to 40 inches of rain at Wynberg and at Tyger Hoek in 

 the Caledon Division. In the Caledon Division it seems to 

 be at its* best, growing there with great vigour, a strong 

 natural reproduction and often with but a scanty rainfall. 



