﻿BULLETIN OF THE 



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No. 9 



Contribution from the Forest Service, Henry S. Graves, Forester 

 December 5, 1913. 



AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF ACACIAS. 



By Charles Howard Shinn, 

 Forest Examiner. 



PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. 



The acacias are so valuable as a source of tanning material and of 

 timber, and are so well adapted to the reclamation of sandy and semi- 

 desert lands that the introduction and culture of these exotics into 

 certain portions of the United States may prove extremely profitable. 



To a certain extent parallels exist between the culture, in America, 

 of eucalypts and acacias. Both were introduced in California about 

 the same time, and both have thrived there. Commercially, too, 

 their ranges are practically identical, though acacias do not make as 

 large demand upon the soil. In both cases, however, the lack of 

 frost hardiness limits their range. 



The aim of this bulletin is to call attention to the economic impor- 

 tance of the leading acacias with the idea of bringing about more 

 general planting. 



THE GENUS ACACIA. 



ITS EXTENT. 



The acacias form the most characteristic group in the suborder 

 Mirnoseae, of the great bean family Leguminosse, represented in the 

 United States by such trees as black locust (Robinia pseudacacia) , 

 honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) , coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) , 

 and redbud (Oercis canadensis). They are, in the main, natives of 

 Australia, which has about 300 species. There are 150 other species 

 scattered over the world, principally in Asia, Africa, and America, 

 with one important species, the koa, in the Hawaiian Islands. Of the 

 450 not more than 75 have a known economic value, and not more 

 than 50 are in general cultivation, though 150 species are growing in 

 nurseries, gardens, and arboretums in the United States. A com- 

 pilation of California nursery catalogues made in 1911 showed 103 

 species listed. The authorities of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, 

 enumerate 60 species growing within the park. 

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