76 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



WATTLE CULTIVATION. 

 By F. H. Seed, F.E.H.S. 



Much interest seems to be taken now in British East Africa and m 

 other places with a similar climate with regard to Wattle growing. 



The term ** Wattle " throughout Australia is applied generally to 

 all species of Acacia, over one hundred species of which are native in 

 New South Wales alone. ** Sydney Wattle " {Acacia decurrens) 

 grows to a height of from about thirty to sixty feet and produces a most 

 important tan-bark. It is generally considered that Wattles will thrive 

 on soil which is of little use for other cultivation, but at the same time 

 the tannin will be found inferior if grown on poor soil, and as with all 

 other crops the better the cultivation the better the yield and profit. 

 In sowing the seeds, three to five should be placed four feet apart, 

 which will allow for thinning out, and care should be taken not to 

 cover the seeds too deeply. If, however, only a small area is to be 

 planted it is much better to raise seedlings in a nursery, and from my 

 own experience both in British East Africa and in the Cape I have 

 found nurseries answer the best, if the cost of labour will allow. On 

 the other hand, if sowing broadcast, be careful to sow sparingly, 

 otherwise the cost of thinning may be a loss instead of a gain. Many 

 planters recommend that the seedlings be thinned out as soon as big 

 enough to handle, say, from ten to twelve feet apart, but there are 

 many differences of opinion, and one thing is certain, namely, that 

 close planting gives " leggy " trees. 



In five years it is considered a fair return to get eight tons to the 

 acre. The thinnings alone of an ordinary plantation should realize 

 at least £4 from an acre after three years. The method of export and 

 packing highly recommended throughout Australia is by chopping the 

 bark into pieces a few inches in length and selling in bags. The 

 powdering of this bark is preferred by the trade, but adulteration is not 

 unknown when this method is resorted to, and during my experience 

 with Wattle plantations in Cape Colony chopping and bagging were 

 the general rule. 



I have by me the figures of five analyses of Wattle bark, taken in 

 New South Wales, which run as follows: SS'OS, 35-08, 32-13, 37-56, 

 and 33 "33 per cent, of tannin respectively. When we consider that 

 many plantations in Cape Colony yield from 22-26 per cent, of tannin, 

 and Natal 30 per cent, to 34 per cent. , we may take it that there is a 

 good future for Wattles in British East Africa, judging by the report 

 that a shipment of bark recently sent home showed 42*2 per cent, of 

 tannin, and is only topped by the South Australian Wattle {Acacia 

 2ljcnantha), one of the richest, if not the richest, tanning barks in the 

 world, showing 46*47 per cent, of tannic acid. 



