4 



yards, such as with 50,000 hides always in the pits, it becomes a very serious difficulty, attended with 

 anxiety and loss, not to be able, through want of sufficiency of bark of a class, to work them through 

 successfully. It therefore becomes a "matter of necessity that the exports of bark maybe abundant 

 and regular to such an extent as tanners may confidently rely on. To such low export of wattle-bark 

 have your growers now arrived at, that one yard could manage to take fully one-fourth — say 1,000 

 tons — of all the bark shipped from your ports to England in 1882, and about one-third of the ship- 

 ments for 1883 I am aware French and German tanners highly approve of the wattle 



for tanning purposes." (Report to S. A. Legislative Council, 1884.) .... 



Mr. F. Donovan, representative of the Tanners and Curriers' Union of Melbourne, in giving evidence 

 before the Royal Commission on Vegetable Products, states that for the bark which in 1872 cost 

 £3 15s. per ton, £8 or £9 was paid in 1887, and he is very emphatic on the necessity of wattle cul- 

 ture on a large scale. Mr. Dunn, a tanner, gave evidence' to the effect that in 1872 wattle-bark was 

 selling from £2 10s. to £3 a ton. In 1879 the price had gone up as high as £9 10s., and since then 

 it has varied from £8 10s. to £11 ; in 1887 the best bark was £10. 



The best Sydney bark has fetched £10 this season, and this appears to be the top price on the 

 average. 



Cultivation of Wattles. 

 (a.) Soil. 



There is a consensus of opinion that wattles will grow on the poorest soil, and thus it is that land 

 can be utilized in this industry when it can scarcely be put under any other cultivation, and where 

 not even grass grows. At the same time, bark richer in tannic acid and maturing earlier, may be 

 obtained from trees growing on richer soil. . . 



In preparing the land, if it be virgin soil, unencumbered with scrub and of a light nature, breaking 

 up of the surface, sowing the seeds, and harrowing is all that is necessary. If the land be covered with 

 scrub or other vegetation these should be cut down, burnt, and the land prepared in the usual way. It 

 must not be understood that any careless kind of cultivation will do for wattles, although when once 

 started, they will thrive with scarcely any attention, but like other crops, the bstter the system of cul- 

 tivation adopted, the better the yield and therefore the greater the profit. 



(b.) Moisture. 



Wattles like a moderate amount of moisture, say from 18 to 20 inches. (F. Abbott.) 



Mr. J. E. Brown has grown wattles successfully with 10 inches of rainfall, but ordinary cultivators 

 will not usually succeed with less than 16 to 20 inches per annum. 



On the other hand, it is not good for wattle-trees to have an unlimited supply of water, as they 

 then tend to throw out too much leaf, and the bark becomes flabby and deficient in tannic acid. 



( c.J Sowing and Germination of the Seed. 



The outer covering of the seed is of great hardness, and under ordinary circumstances it will 

 remain in the ground for many years before germination. . . 



Bush-fires, however, usually hasten matters ; and it is well known that perfect forests of young 

 wattles spring up in many places after these occurrences. The operations of nature are threfore assisted 

 in practice by means of heat, and thn heat may be either dry or moist. For the first, Mr. J". E. Brown 

 recommends a quantity of brushwood to be burnt down to the condition of expiring embers. "In this 

 residuum of the fire the seed is placed and mixed up with the ashes and charred coals, and the whole is 

 then allowed to remain until cooled down. The seed is now ready for sowing. If the intention be to 

 sow it singly, by dibbling or in some other way, it will have to be cleaned and separated from the residue 

 of the fire by riddling, or by the aid of an ordinary grain-winnower. If, however, the seed is to be sown 

 broad-cast, it will be sufficient if the embers are raked off the heap, and the remainder, containing both 

 ash and seed, stored ready for sowing. The advantage claimed for this method of preparation is that 

 the seed can be sown either broad-cast upon the ground without covering, or dibbled in the soil in the 

 ordinary way, at any season of the year, and especially before the winter rains set in." Care will, of 

 course, require to be exercised to prevent loss by over-burning. A frying-pan* is used by some people 

 for roasting wattle seed. 



Secondly, the method of treatment by boiling, or hot water. Mr. Brown has recommen ded that the 

 seed be placed in a vessel, water almost boiling poured upon it, and left to soak for one or two days ; the 

 seed is then taken out and kept damp in a bag Until swelling takes place. The only drawback to this 

 system is that, when sown, the seed must of necessity be covered with soil, and that the operation be 

 carried out in the winter season only. 



Unless the seed be covered as it is put out, so as to keep up the necessary supply of moisture to 

 complete germination, a change of dry weather would undoubtedly result in its entire loss." Neverthe- 

 less, this is the method which Mr. Brown recommends growers, especially beginners, to adopt. . . 



Following are extracts from a leaflet, giving a few simple directions in regard to wattle cultiva- 

 tion, which has been issued by the Superintendent of Technical Education, under the direction of the 

 Minister of Public Instruction. Some of the points have already been touched upon : — 



" Nursery. — If there be only a small area to be planted with wattles it is best to raise seedlings in 

 a nursery. Whilst young they can be easier looked after and protected. Wattles will not stand trans- 

 planting at every season of the year with any degree of success ; therefore they should be planted in 

 small flower-pots or bamboos, in which they can be readily taken to the open ground. If grown in 

 flower-pots, three or four seeds in each will be sufficient. When the plants are up, weed out all but 

 the strongest one. After they are a few weeks old the pots will be found to be full of root ; they 



• The danger of over-heating will be minimised if a little water be put into the frying-pan. 



