ON THE ECONOMIC APPLICATION OF BARKS. 531 



out, of a dull brown colour, with occasional patches of a whitish epi- 

 dermis. 



RMzophora mangle, L. The Mangrove. — A tree forty or fifty feet 

 high. The seeds of this plant, which grows in the tidal estuaries of 

 rivers in Guiana, Brazil, and the West Indies, woidd inevitably be 

 carried away by the receding tide were they like those of most plants, 

 but while they are yet in the fruit, the rootlet grows until it is from one 

 to two feet in length, and nearly twice the thickness of a common lead 

 pencil ; it then drops from the tree into the mud, where it establishes 

 itself as an independent plant. The bark of this tree is much prized 

 in Brazil as a tanning material, and small quantities have been imported 

 into this country for the same purpose. It is reputed to contain a large 

 quantity of tannin, and to be superior to many barks for that purpose, 

 but its deep red colour is, perhaps, an objection to its being brought 

 into greater use. It is about a quarter of an inch thick, of a dull, 

 reddish brown colour, somewhat fibrous, and covered on the outer surface 

 with a cork-like cuticle. Other allied species of this genus produce 

 barks having similar properties. 



Coccoloba uvifera, L. Sea-side Grape. — This is a large tree, native of 

 the West Indies and South America. Nearly all parts of the tree have 

 astringent properties, particularly the fleshy calyx, which partly covers 

 the edible berries. These have a pleasant acid flavour. The bark is 

 used for tanning in the West Indies. It is about a quarter of an inch 

 thick, of a dusky brown colour externally, the inside of a lightish red, 

 it breaks with a short brittle fracture. 



Acacia Araoica, L. — A tree growing thirty or forty feet high, a native 

 of the East Indies, Egypt, Senegal, &c, produces a bark known as 

 Babool bark, much prized in the East Indies for tanning leather, and 

 also for dyeing various shades of brown. The bark itself is of a deep 

 red brown colour, much resembling in appearance that imported as 

 " Mimosa bark." A decoction is employed as a substitute for soap. 



Acacia melanoxylon, R. Br. — Known in Tasmania as Blackwood. A 

 common Australian tree, growing thirty or forty feet high, also furnishes 

 a bark used by the natives for tanning. Acacia mollissima, Willd., the 

 Black Wattle, and A. decurrens, Willd., the Green Wattle, of New 

 South Wales, both large trees, produce, with several other species of 

 Acacia, barks more or less esteemed in the Australian colonies for 

 tanning and dyeing purposes. The numerous species of Acacia growing 

 in this part of the world are very imperfectly known, and consequently 

 the native or commercial name of their products difficult of identifica- 

 tion ; thus, a large quantity of bark is imported into this country from 

 Tasmania and Australia for tanning purposes under the name of 

 " Mimosa bark," but the scientific name of the plant or plants producing 

 it cannot be determined. 



Weinmannia racemosa, Forst. — A moderately sized tree, native 

 of New Zealand, where the bark is much prized for tanning, 



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