COLOMBO. 
Added as a Siipplement Monthly to the " TBOPIGAL AGBICULTUIilST " 
The following pages include ihe Contents of the AgricuUural Macjadna for 
June : — 
Vol. XV.] ■ JUNE, 1904. [No, 12. 
WATTLE BAEK. 
RITING from Natal a corres- 
pondent asks, "How has 
Acacia decurrens, var. mo- 
lissima done in the lower 
hill zone in Ceylon ? Though 
rather sensitive to frost iu 
tlie early stages of growth, 
it is a great success and a very remunerative 
industry in the Midlands of Natal today. Wattle 
bark ranks third among the staple exports of 
the Colony, Several companies are investing 
capital iu it — planting out large areas. Figures 
taken from the Natal Agricultural Journal for 
January of this year show that though the industry 
is only 20 years old at present, there are over 
26,000 acres under black Wattle in Natal, and 
new companies are laying down plantations at the 
rate of 1,000 acres a year each. In 1902, 15,537 
tons of bark valued at £74,554 were exported. 
I venture to think that black wattle culture 
should pay as an industry in the lower moist 
hill zone of Ceylon, on the patanas for instance, 
if the soil is not too shallow." 
We referred our correspondent's remarks to 
Mr. W. Nock, late Superintendent ot Hakgala 
Gardens, who was just about to leave the Island, 
and he wrote in reply :— " Mr. A. J. Kellow of 
Albion can tell you all that is known about 
it. lie has supplied large quantities, and I believe 
he got Rs. 140 per ton. There is no question 
about its growing well iu the upper hills, say 
from 3,500 ft. upwards. The difficulty is the 
transport, and unfortunately the local demand 
is not great ; though with such a price as is 
quoted above there is a good margin of profit." 
Mr. A, J. Kellow, to whom we next applied, 
is good enough to permit us to reproduce 
the following estimate prepared by him a couple 
of years ago. IIo writes : — • 
The accompanying Estimate for planting up 
and bringing to the eighth year of 100 acres 
of Acacia decurrens provides for harvesting 
the whole plantation in one year ; if, however, 
it was found advisable to secure a crop earlier, it 
could be done, either by thinning out, or by 
stripping 20 or 25 acres at five years old ; if 
the latter course was adopted the same ground 
could be replanted with the same product, at less 
cost, and with the soil very much improved. 
Harvesting. — This item, i e., Rs. 20 per ton, is 
what it actually cost me here for stripping, 
chopping, and drying. I cut it into half inch 
lengths to suit the local market, but I believe it 
is not the custom in other bark-producing coun- 
tries to chop, so small, and probably a saving 
might be efEected by using a mill or machine 
instead of chopping by coolies. 
Railivay Freight is very high, being the rate 
fixed for Cinchona Bark, and Government might 
be induced to lower it to foster a new 
industry. 
Value of Bark.— I have put down at £6 per 
ton in Colombo for export ; the present rate in 
Durban, Sjuth Africa, is, I am informed, £6 10s.; 
locally, 1 have realised Ri. 140=£0-6-8 per ton 
(in Colombo). 
