121 



Mr. ,C. T. Musson writes in the Bawkesbury Agricultural- College Journal 

 for 1904:— 



Another colour peculiarity is . found in a bright yellow, or orange strip. 

 crossing the angle formed by the branches in Acacia decurrens. Here js tli6^ 

 spot mostly attacked by borers. Is there toughening tissue present? 



Many of my readers have observed this coloration in A. decurrens. It» 

 function is not obvious, and I draw attention to it since it is one of the- 

 innumerable morphological indications which we are not yet able to- interpret^ 

 and the Ijey to the physiology of such miarking may be found by the observant 

 bush-naturalist. It may appeal to be a little thing; but the science of 

 botany is built up by " little " observations, often by untrained men. 



An interesting study is W. yjf. Eroggatt's ," Insects of the Wattle-trees,"" 

 in the Agricultural Gazette of ifew B.outh Wales for 1902. Unfortunately 

 our wattles are very liable to insect pests, but this causes them to be of 

 special interest to entomologists. 



A. decurrens yields an important tan-bark in most of the States, and 

 every encouragement should be given to its cultivation. This wattle- 

 and the South Australian A. ^cnaniha will snpplement each other, the- 

 former flourishing in situations too damp and cold for the latter. Varieties 

 of A. decurrens are at present abundant on some Crown and other lands in 

 various districts of the State, where thousands, and perhaps millions, of 

 seedlings may be sometimes seen, forming a dense, useless brush, liable to 

 destruction by bush fires. In these localities we do not require to sow seed, 

 but to use the tomlahawk. They should be thinned out freely, \to admit light 

 and air to the most promising seedlings, which will then have some chanco- 

 of forming trees capable of carrying a merohan-table amount of bark. In- 

 many places selectors wage war against this tree, simply looking upon it 

 as a troublesome weed. They should try the thinning process, leaving the- 

 most shapely trees. They will find that wattle scrub (of the right kinds) 

 will become of value, instead of a nuisance. 



Mr. J. E. Brovm stated that, in South Aiistralia, this species is muclt 

 less hardy than A. ppcnantha, but in other States this is not the general 

 experience. Baron. von Mueller recommends planting of A. decurrens in 

 worn-out lands overrun with sorrel. It i^ fond of moisture, and not of too- 

 much heat. The Baron also gives its rate of growth as about 1 inch in 

 diameter every year. Mr. J. E. Brown mentions some treees in South 

 Australia 30 feet high and 8 inches in diameter, only 5 years of age, and 

 I can record similar experience, near Sydney. It is rather liahle to attacks 

 by borers. It is a useful tree for making a quick-growing shelter for 

 vineyards, orchards, &e. 



Cultural Notes. — The following notes are, as a rule, directly based upon 

 observation with .the mollis variety of Acacia decurrens, but are more, or 

 less applicable to all varieties of decun-ens. 



Mr. Evan Francis writes:— 



In a garden in Bega, a few years ago, I sowed seeds of Black "Wattle on 1st 

 September, and on the 1st January, following, plants were measured 11 and 12" 

 feet high ; this, for four months, was enormous growth. 



Eollowing is an account of a New Zealand correspondent ("Waikato, 

 Auckland), of his experience in regard to this variety, which may be useful 

 for the guidance of others in similar localities : — 



I have about 5 or 6 acres of moUissima. I got the seed from Tasmania. 

 They are growing the best of any I have got. They do not make much tap 



