17 



scented ; seed vessel before opening is oval, and of a bright 

 orange colour, bigbly resinous, and its flavour is most disagree- 

 able ; but sbeep are exceedingly partial to its foliage, and wben 

 one succeeds in pulling down a branch tbe rest make a rusb to 

 partake of such a dainty, and owing to this the tree itself is 

 like to be exterminated, although originally very common in the 

 limestones of Port Lincoln and the Murray. Were this culti- 

 vated, and sheep only admitted occasionally to the enclosures, 

 it would never reach a troublesome height. Like most of its 

 family, it is easily raised from seed. 



Casuarina quadrivalvis. — The Sheaoak so common around Ade- 

 laide. All stock devour this tree, and in Port Lincoln the 

 fallen catkins (male infloresence) form the chief sustenance in 

 winter on much of the overstocked country. In many parts 

 the ground, if fenced off, is quickly covered with the young 

 trees, and if after the third year the sheep were admitted only 

 during the winter they would be prevented from growing too 

 high. It is too sour to be very useful to ewes rearing lambs, 

 but if sheep only had enough of it, the " brake," or tenderness 

 of fibre, would often be prevented in our finer wool districts, 

 and much money saved by the increased value a sound staple 

 always commands. 



Acacias. — The "Wattles of various sorts are common almost 

 everywhere. The common or Grolden Wattle, A. pycnantha., is 

 now being extensively cultivated for its bark ; for grazing, 

 however, its value is not so well recognised, but I am of opinion 

 that in winter its value as an astringent is very great, as sheep 

 often suffer from a diahorrea caused by eating frozen grass, and 

 if access be provided to any of the varieties of Wattle this. 

 is prevented, and the improved clip will repay the wool- 

 grower the extra trouble of cultivating this ornamental and 

 beautiful tree. 



Acacia melanoxylon. — The Blackwood, which is confined 

 with us to the South-East and our cooler southern valleys, 

 is of more use for its timber (which is one of the hand- 

 somest furniture woods in Australia), than for its foliage, 

 which, although eaten by cattle and sheep, is not of the greatest 

 value; but the contrary is the case with the mulga,^c«c2««;?(Sz«Yi5, 

 a shrubby tree of the very greatest importance in Central Aus- 

 tralia, where it covers large areas, sub-varieties of which there 

 are many, being somewhat difficult to define, varying a little 

 according to the locality. The stony ranges, the rich red loamy 

 plain, and the sandhill country have each a mulga differing 

 mostly in the size of the leaves and position of the branches, 

 and recognised by the aborigines under distinctive names, the 

 typical mulga having numerous branches at nearly right 



