﻿6 BULLETIN 9, XL S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



that wattle plantations niust be protected, from fire by fire breaks 

 "and. also by the removal of the inflammable brush from among 

 them. At the same time, the finely divided, foliage of Acacia decur- 

 rens makes it the most susceptible of the commercial wattles to 

 destruction by fire." In Natal, according to Mr. David G. Fair- 

 child^ 1 



The greatest enemy of trie wattle is the grass fire. From trie surrounding prairie 

 sucli fires spread into the plantations and destroy them. To prevent this, nearly 50 

 miles of fire breaks, made by planting broad strips of prairie, have been constructed 

 about the forests, and the expense of this adds materially to the original cost of estab- 

 lishing a wattle estate. 



Another author, writing from the Transvaal, 2 calls attention to the 

 prevailing notion that "it is commonly supposed that wattles a few 

 years old are safe from fire, and in fact make good fire breaks. This, 

 however, is not the case, and many disastrous fires have entirely 

 destroyed wattle plantations." A fire which merely defoliated the 

 trees scorched the bark and rendered it valueless. "From this it 

 will be seen how very necessary it is to protect the plantations from 

 fire as far as possible. This can best be done by plowing or burning 

 wide belts around the trees, " and by dividing the plantation into 

 blocks by means of roads, which must be kept clean. 



_j Other Injuries. 



Frost is, of course, to be avoided, though many species will stand 

 temperatures of 20° F. if not too prolonged. Hail may do consider- 

 able damage by bruising the bark and breaking off shoots. Crooked 

 stems and branches have resulted from hail injury. 



A black-wattle plantation in Hawaii suffered a loss of 20 per cent 

 due to three causes — from being overmature, from stock browsing, 

 and from insect enemies. Goats are particularly injurious, and their 

 severe cropping will altogether destroy growth. 



HISTORY OF ACACIA CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



Those who first planted acacias in California obtained only the 

 species which had been planted on the Atlantic coast and in the Mid- 

 dle West. Many of these species were not in the least adapted to the 

 California climate. It was then suggested that since western Mexico, 

 Chile, and southern Europe had climates similar to that of California, 

 acacias from these regions would be suitable, but introduction was 

 slow and difficult. The Spanish settlements had furnished a few 



i Bulletin 51, Bureau of Plant Industry, Miscellaneous Papers, "The Cultivation of the Australian 

 Wattle,'.' pp. 21-25. 



2 Lionel E. Taylor, Assistant Conservator of Forests, in Forestry Section of Transvaal Agricultural 

 Journal, Jan., 1910, vol. 8, No. 30, Agricultural Department, Pretoria. 



