﻿Hawke 
  Bay 
  Philosophical 
  Im^titttU, 
  571 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  tanning 
  barks 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand, 
  I 
  beg 
  to 
  remark 
  on 
  the 
  

   indigenous 
  trees, 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  imported, 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  which 
  would 
  

   prove 
  highly 
  remunerative, 
  a 
  desirable 
  industry 
  for 
  the 
  Colony, 
  and 
  a 
  good 
  

   export. 
  

  

  The 
  native 
  trees 
  which 
  contain 
  tannin 
  are 
  (1) 
  the 
  Tawero, 
  synonymous 
  

   with 
  Towai 
  {Weinmannia 
  racemosa, 
  Forst). 
  (2) 
  Whinau, 
  (3) 
  Toatoa, 
  (4) 
  

   Tawai, 
  (5) 
  Makomako, 
  Yellow 
  Kowai, 
  and 
  others. 
  

  

  The 
  tannin 
  iu 
  our 
  New 
  Zealand 
  Trees 
  certainly 
  does 
  not 
  abound, 
  but 
  

   it 
  is 
  amply 
  made 
  up 
  for 
  by 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  varieties 
  of 
  

   the 
  Acacia 
  from 
  Australia, 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  tribe 
  of 
  Acacia 
  medicinally 
  contains 
  a 
  valuable 
  astringent, 
  

   consequently 
  tannin 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  in 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  which 
  now 
  more 
  

   than 
  300 
  sorts 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  science. 
  Those 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  bark 
  for 
  

   tanning 
  is 
  used 
  in 
  Australia 
  are 
  but 
  few 
  sorts, 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  large 
  growing 
  

   trees, 
  and 
  of 
  easy 
  access. 
  The 
  undermentioned 
  are 
  commonly 
  used 
  in 
  

   different 
  parts 
  of 
  Australia 
  and 
  New 
  Zealand, 
  and 
  exported 
  in 
  considerable 
  

   quantities 
  to 
  England 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  is 
  generally 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Silver 
  Wattle 
  idealbata), 
  now 
  so 
  

   plentiful 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  Island 
  ; 
  also 
  the 
  falcata, 
  the 
  melanoxylon, 
  or 
  blaok= 
  

   wood, 
  and 
  the 
  moIUssima, 
  woolly-leaved. 
  All 
  these 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  

   Napier 
  gardens. 
  

  

  I 
  am 
  informed 
  that 
  in 
  Victoria, 
  the 
  Silver 
  Wattle 
  seed 
  is 
  sown 
  there 
  as 
  

   a 
  speculation 
  ; 
  that 
  in 
  three 
  years 
  the 
  trees 
  are 
  worth 
  £5 
  per 
  acre 
  — 
  the 
  

   bark 
  for 
  tanning 
  purposes, 
  the 
  wood 
  for 
  fuel. 
  The 
  great 
  advantages 
  of 
  

   these 
  trees 
  is, 
  that 
  when 
  the 
  seed 
  is 
  once 
  sown, 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  require 
  renewal, 
  

   as 
  it 
  is 
  supplied 
  in 
  the 
  future 
  by 
  suckers 
  from 
  the 
  roots 
  and 
  falhng 
  seed. 
  

  

  The 
  value 
  of 
  Acacia 
  bark 
  for 
  tanning 
  purposes 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand 
  is 
  

   about 
  ^8 
  per 
  ton. 
  

  

  If 
  these 
  trees 
  were 
  planted 
  along 
  our 
  railway 
  lines 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  

   fenced, 
  it 
  would 
  no 
  doubt 
  be 
  a 
  large 
  source 
  of 
  revenue, 
  and 
  amply 
  repay 
  

   the 
  outlay 
  ; 
  they 
  would 
  also 
  prove 
  shelter 
  from 
  the 
  sun, 
  the 
  wind, 
  and 
  the 
  

   dust. 
  The 
  Acacia 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  tried 
  with 
  advantage 
  in 
  Algeria, 
  and 
  the 
  

   Home 
  authorities 
  intend 
  cultivating 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Cyprus. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Colenso 
  related 
  the 
  first 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  barks 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand 
  trees 
  for 
  tanning 
  

   purposes, 
  which 
  took 
  place 
  at 
  Ngunguru 
  (between 
  Whangarei 
  and 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Islands), 
  

   in 
  the 
  years 
  1839, 
  1840, 
  and 
  1841, 
  which 
  had 
  come 
  under 
  his 
  special 
  notice 
  while 
  hving 
  

   at 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Islands, 
  and 
  often 
  travelling 
  in 
  that 
  district. 
  This 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  place 
  in 
  New 
  

   Zealand 
  where 
  hides 
  were 
  tanned 
  for 
  leather, 
  the 
  whole 
  process 
  was 
  particularly 
  primi- 
  

   tive. 
  Extracts 
  of 
  those 
  several 
  barks 
  there 
  used, 
  with 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  trees 
  producing 
  

   them, 
  he 
  had 
  sent 
  to 
  Sir 
  W. 
  J. 
  Hooker, 
  the 
  Director 
  of 
  the 
  Koyal 
  Gardens 
  at 
  Kew, 
  long 
  

   before 
  New 
  Zealand 
  became 
  a 
  British 
  Colony. 
  

  

  