September, 190S.] 



219 



DYES AND TANS. 



WATTLE GROWING. 



By A. Tatham, Gisborne. 



Wherever the black wattle (Acacia 

 decurrens) grows naturally in Victoria, 

 it is possible to cultivate it. Oil most 

 properties there is always an acre or 

 two of land that for some reason or 

 other yields no return, and there is no 

 reason why they should not be made to 

 do so through wattles. 



Cultivation. 

 It would be difficult to find a soil in 

 Victoria that would not grow this tree, 

 provided moisture was sufficient. But 

 if any can be specially selected perhaps 

 the granite country would gain fiist 

 place. Those soils that are rich in humus 

 are most favoured, and often in granite 

 localities, where the soil surface is made 

 fairly free by the disintegration of the 

 rocks, a dense vegetation of low-growing 

 species, especially bracken fern, is found, 

 causing an annual deposit of decaying 

 vegetable matter. The wattle in its 

 young state is tolerant of shade, and in 

 fact thrives well in partial shade, or 

 under a high-leaf canopy. But to be at 

 its best as far as bark production is con- 

 cerned, it should have no overhead shade, 

 but plenty of undergrowth. Its natural 

 locality is a valley, but where the rain- 

 fall is 30 inches and over it is found 

 growing well on lidges. 



The wattle seeds profusely once in 

 three years. To collect the seeds, the 

 pods should be gathered just as they 

 ripen, but before they open, as they 

 will do on a hot day, and so shed the 

 seed. The pods can be laid on sacks or 

 rick cloth in the sun, where they get 

 brittle or split ; place all in a sack and 

 beat it briskly with a stout stick, and 

 the seed will be threshed out. If the 

 sack is held up, and gently bounced on 

 the ground it will be found that the 

 seeds sink to the bottom and can easily 

 be collected. 



The area having been selected, the 

 seed can be sown any time in the early 

 autumn. The cheapest and easiest way 

 to do this is to strive to get a locality 

 that has trees growing on it; if bracken 

 fern exists all the better. Do not 

 attempt to remove any rubblish in the 

 shape of logs or dead limbs, leave all 

 alone— it is an excellent site for wattles. 

 Before the autumn rains, throw the feed 

 broadcast over the area; it requires no 

 previous prepai ation, if plenty of dry 



vegetation is present. Half-a-pouud of 

 seed is ample for an acre, in fact a 

 quarter of a pound will suffice, but is 

 difficult to sow, except it is mixed with 

 a bucket of sand or earth. On a favour- 

 able day, and with due regard for your- 

 self and your neighbours, set fire to the 

 block. The heat of the fire will assist 

 germination, and the resulting ashes are 

 sufficient cover for the seeds; injurious 

 insects are destroyed, and the vegeta- 

 tion is burnt sufficiently to allow the 

 young wattles to get a fair start in life, 

 before they have to struggle through 

 the quick growth of grass, &c, which 

 will follow in the spiing. In two years 

 the young wattles will be 2 to 3 feet 

 high and beyond all interference from 

 undergrowth. 



So far the expense has been very 

 slight. But as stock will greedily devour 

 wattles, the plantation must be fenced 

 until such time as the young trees are 

 too high for them, which ought to be in 

 their fourth year. The style of fence 

 need only be temporary and cheap, but 

 effective. 



If this style of plantation cannot be 

 arranged, then more expensive methods 

 must be resorted to. The next cheapest 

 is to run disc cultivators over the area 

 where possible, throw on the seed broad- 

 cast, and then brush-harrow it in or 

 roll it. But the seed needs preparation ; 

 quick germination cannot be hoped for, 

 unless it has been subjected to heat, soak- 

 age, or fermentation. To heat seed, 

 place it in a hot oven, and as soon as it 

 gets fairly hot remove it ; this will keep 

 for some time should rain not fall. 

 Soaked seed is too tender to handle 

 much and is only of use in seed beds, and 

 should rain not fall after sowing it would 

 perish. If land that has been broken up 

 by ploughing can be secured it generally 

 grows good wattles. Even plougbed-in 

 seed has resulted in a good plantation, 

 but is expensive. 



It is almost useless to grow wattles in 

 plain country where trees have not pre- 

 viously grown, as they will requite 

 attention of an expensive nature to 

 insure success. Above all, strive to grow 

 them in scrubby areas, do not ring or 

 destroy the natural growth except 

 where it greatly interferes with young 

 trees. As a rule wattles grown in 

 the open suffer severely from insect 

 pests and blight, and the want of suffi- 

 cient humus in the soil checks their 

 growth. These trees are as a rule 

 of low growth, thin and hard in 



