354 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[November i, 1890. 
to be of much value to us. Accorrlina to 
Barou Von Mueller, it ia next lo A. decurrens 
for tanning bark, but the tree does not seem 
to grow more than 30 feet high. Ia our 
climate, however, thia and other Australian 
trees are likely to grow more luxurian'ly than in 
their native habitat. The wood of thia tree, though 
small, ia well adapted for staves, handles of im- 
plements, articles of turnery, especially bobbins. 
[N. B — The Colombo Spinning and Weaving Com- 
pany.] Maiden describes it as the golden, green or 
broad-leaved wattle, the bark rich in tannin and 
gum and the flowers in perfume. Osborne described 
the wood as tough and close grained. 
A. decurrens Von Mueller describes as a small 
or middle-sized tree. Its wood is used for staves, 
turner’s work, axe and pick handles and many 
Other purposes. The Baron adds what is f special 
importance to onr planting community, that it is 
an excellent fireivood. He also states thao it is a 
good first shelter for treelees iooali'.ies [our 
patanas 1 for raising forest. [Officers of the Forest 
Department to note.l “ The typical A. decurrens 
with large leaflets [?], occurs particu arly in New 
South Wales and is seldom above 30 feet high.” 
But he adds a mention of trees 60 feet high, so 
that there must be distinct varit-ties, or, as is 
probable, the soil and climate of different localities 
give very different results, the tree is easily 
propagated and grows rapidly. It is content wi h 
the poorest soil, though it makes better growth in 
better soil. Cultivation easy, broadcast or in rows. 
Seeds can be obtained in Melbourne at about 5s 
per lb., each pound consisting of bO 0 0 to 50 000 
grains. The seed ought to be soaked in warm 
water before being sown. Von Mat Her adds 
“Hardier than E. globulus, although, unlike A. 
dealbata, it hardly extends to sub-alpine elevations.” 
He means, of course, in Australia, where 2,000 feet, 
except in tropical Queensland and .South Australia, 
may be the equivalent of .5,000 or 6,000 in Ceylon, 
Maiden gives ihe names, “ black wattle,” from ike 
colour of the bark; “green” and “feathery” 
wattle. The timber is light tough and strong 
but he adds that it is generally muc’n bored by 
the larvse of coleopterous insects. [We have not seen 
or heard of this occurring in Ceylon.] But the 
next quality attributed to this tree shows that 
it is just what is wanted to be cultivated in 
factory fuel groves. “Even in a green state it 
furnishes excellent fuel. Yields over 26 2 >er cent 
charcoal. Wood easy to work. The sap wood is 
white, while the heart is of a pinkish colour. Slabs 
in the Technical Museum at Sydney Wi re 12 to 
18 inches diameter. But it is not timber we want 
so much on tea estates, — while the supply of tea 
boxes comes to us from Japan and other sources, 
as fuel, and especially fuel which will burn as 
this wood does when green. 
And now of A. decurrens, var. molUssima, 
which we hope is really the golden-blossorned 
species near the church and in other places 
in Nuwara Eliya, Von Mueller slates that 
all he wrote about A. decurrens applied 
to this variety ; while Maiden says that the timber 
is light, tough and strong ; used for staves for 
beef and water casks in Tasmania. It ia subject 
to attacks by insects. [Not here, so far as we 
know.] A tree 2 feet diameter of this species was 
tested in Victoria and gave an average specific 
breaking strength of 2 063 lb. Not a word is said 
by Von Mueller or Maiden about A. decurreres send- 
ing up suckers ; and Mr. Kellow’s trees and ours 
do not ; but wo suspect that in both oases we 
have a departure from typo ? The golden-blos- 
The broad-lcueei, typical species can soircoly bo 
jeatbery ? 
soraed wattle in Nuwara Eliya certaii ly s'nds up 
puckers as readily as dots the so-called silver 
wattle. A dealbata ; and we do not think it advisable 
10 grow any of the walties amongst the tea, but only 
in ground devoted to th m and to other trees. A 
large proportion of the Australian trees have a 
tendency to throw up suckers, and this tendency has 
been strongly devel- p d with as by a favnurite 
species of oa=uarina, which grows tall and straight 
and generally oue-pt- mined, the very reverse of 
the habit of our prt aient casuarina, w.iich grows 
comparatively shert, wth dense foliurfe and 
numerous crooked branebes. Many trees u/ this 
Kind are inclined "o die oh at 7 to 10 years of 
age, but we have airested this tendency by pruning; 
and even the trees which go off yi^ld gord fire- 
wood, as do all the ensuarlnas their ashes retaining 
heat for a prolonged period. No ra^re valuable 
trees can be oultiva'rd oy plrnters; but, as in the 
case of the acacias, not amongst the tea. The bushy 
casuarina s- Idom throws up suckers, but the enor- 
mous quantity of spines it drops is very adverse 
to other vegetation. The b autiful tall casuarina 
is ol jeotionablij amongst tea, though not equally 
harmful, by reason of its .vonderfuily profuse sub- 
sidiary plants in the shape of suckers. One tree 
near our bungalow h.s exten.led its roots full 
thirty yards around its stem, and all along they 
can be traced by fine young plants springing up 
from them which, like those of A. melanoxijlon, 
we are traokplsutiog into pieces of ground where 
they can “ increase and multiply ” at their will. 
If as I think, one graceful, tall and slim casuarina, 
which shows no tendency to “ insidious defunotion,” 
is C torulosa (syn. G. tenuissima), it is “one of 
the best woods for oven fuel,” while of G. stricta 
the record is, “As fuel it can hardly be excelled.” 
Your readers are aware that on tne sandy sea- 
shore near Madras large plantations were formed 
for fuel supply to the railways of 0 . equisetlfolia, the 
largo and beautiful tree eo common in Colombo, 
and of which a remarkable avenue, planted by the 
late Mr. W- Ferguson, runs for a long distance 
from the new Lunatic Asylum. My apology 
for thus digressing to a notice of the casuarina 
(she-oaks and beef-wood trees of Australia) is 
that no better, at any rate few better, trees can 
bo grown by planters and others for firewood 
than those trees and the “ wat tes.” Of these 
I have now to notice the much despised and in 
Ootaeamur'd execrated 
A. dealbata, which, according to Von Mueller 
is a still better tree for the purpose we have 
mentioned than even A. decurrens. It is known 
to colonists as “ silver wattle,” “ Prefers humid 
river bank •, where it sometimes attains 150 feet, 
yielding tough timber, used by coopers and other 
artizans, but priuciiialiy serving as 
select fuel of great heating power. 
This tree is distinguished from the black wattle, 
by the silvery or rather ashy hue of its young 
foliage.” Maiden states that A. dealbata is called 
silver wattle, from the whiteness of the trunk as 
w< 11 as the silvery or ashy hue of the young 
foliage. It is evident that this is the terrible 
spreader by suckers which has been denounced 
as a nuisance at Ootaeamund, because it was al- 
lowed to grow everywhere unchecked until it 
monopolized the ground and afforded cover which 
was abused with in anitary results. Thtro is au 
extract from the Madras Mail about the desperate 
war with the plant which had invaded garden 
and grassland alike. “The myriads of suckers 
which spring from the extensive and encroaching 
wattles come up with renewed vigour and ama- 
zing rapidity as fast as they are cut down, and form 
au inexhaustible fuel reserve,” Surely that is what 
