THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Kkuruauv I, 1X95, 
582 
THK CIIKMIHTUV AXD CO.AIMERCIAL 
rOSSIBiLlTIES OK WATTLK (iUAf. 
HY J. H. MAIDRN, F.L.K., F.C.S., 
Ciu'dtor of thf Tcrhunlofiiraf Mnsoum, of AV?/‘ Sooth 
n'tifr... 
The subject acquiroH additional interOHt on ac- 
count of the sliort supply of good gum arabic, and 
the categorical ntatenient wliicli bna been inore 
than once mode that Anstialia iiiiglit meet the de- 
mand. Altliongh a cnnnuon product, seen and known 
by everyone in the Colonies, it is singular tliat wattlo 
gum haa not hitherto formed the subject of syste- 
matic roseacb. In the following pages 1 nave 
treated the aubject both from a liotanical and 
cbcmical point of view, and have, I believe, included 
all published referoncea to the suhioct. My researches 
and observations, conducted with exceptional facili- 
ties for thoroughly sifting tlie subject, have caused 
mo to arrive at the conclusion that Europe and 
America must not look to Australia for any quantity 
of high class gum. 
Wattle gum is the produce of various Australian 
species of Acacia, a genus which is very largely 
developed in that continent, coujprising about H2() 
species, besides a large number of well marked va- 
rieties. 
Gum has, however, only l)eon recorded froiu com- 
paratively few 8i)ecios, as by far tlie grciit majority 
nave no local names, and whore it has l)cen collected 
at all it bos usually been styled •* wattle gum.” The 
present paper includes all species known to the 
author as having yielded gum in Australia; several 
of the gums ore now recorded or described for the 
first time. The specimens described are in the Tech^ 
nological Museum. 
Speaking of Wattlo gums in general, lientloy and 
Trimen, ‘Medicinal PhinlK,’ say, “ It is found coju- 
monly in large tears or masses of a dark yellow or 
reddish-brown colour. This gum, which has a trans- 
parent appearance, being neatly free fr- in cracks or 
fissures, is sivid to be readily soluble’* in water, and 
to form a very adhesive mucilage. It is frequently 
contaminated with pieces of the astringent barks of 
the trees from whicn it is obtained, lienco its solu- 
tion, unless carefully prepared, will frequently contain 
some tannic acid." This is an objectionable con- 
stituent, as it affects the mordants in calico printing. 
“ Best selected Turky gum ' is the ideal gum of 
the group to which Wattle gum liolongs, and if 
judging W'ere to be by })oiut?, it would lake the 
iiighcst place as regards absence of colour, fioodom 
from accidental impurities, ready solubility, and ad- 
hesiveness of its luucihige. The .Australian gums 
seen by the author for the most part fall far l>eliind 
this high standard, although specimens of tlioso from 
hoiualojihfiltat J. finKh/hf, .1. nrnfin, uikI 
dvma iuacMlosa compare with it very favouriibl^'. 
As far as his experiments go, those^ samplos ob- 
tained from the interior (coinparalile in its aridity 
to the Boudan and other noted guin-produeing 
countries), are comjdctely soluble in water, and make 
good mucilages, while ilioso obtained east of the 
Dividing llango, *. r., in well watered districts, in 
whic vegetation is cojuparatively luxuriant, are 
more r less insoluble, portions, at least, merely 
swollin g up in water, like cherry gum, Tn other 
wordee (speaking of the Mastorn colonics, in the ab- 
sence oof detailed knowledge of the western one), 
the c^ast Wattle gums contain me^tarabin, while the 
intcri r ones do not. And when it’ is hoi’ue in mind 
jhat the yield of gum in the interior is insignificant 
* Perhaps this statement lias arisen from the fol- 
lowing : — “Generally speaking, the Victorian acacia 
gums are somewhat le.ss soluble than llio gum arable 
of commerce, but, on tlie other hand, tliey appear 
to yield a more adhesive mucilage, wliich is less 
liable to Hplintor and crack when dry ’’ ( Urport no 
loduj. Vcitvt. SottHf.^ Victorian Exhibition, I8(>1.) 
This statjinent gives an exaggerated idea of tlio 
value of Vietpriau gums, and of Australian ones 
gunurallyj 
as compared with that of the coast country, it be- 
comes apparent how hazardous is any generalization 
that Australian gmns are readily soluble in water. 
I do not think there is much commercial future 
before Australian gum, on account of the high price 
of labour, except in the few localitios where gum is 
very abundant and of high quality, and because the 
natiu*al gum-yielding trees have been largely destroyed 
for their taii-hark and for firewood. 
Wattlo gum exudes chiefly during the summer 
season from fissures and accidental nijui'ios to tim 
bark. After careful observation, I have formed the 
opinion that, as a very general rule, it is a patho- 
logical product. I came to this conclusion long 
before I was aware of Trecnl’s observations, that 
Acacias and the Uosacem yield their gums most 
I abundantly when sickly, and in an abnormal state 
canned by a fulness of sap in the youug tissues. 
Wattle gum of various species is largely eaten by 
tlie blacks, and, liy those of the interior at least, 
especially with fisli. This fact is well-known in the 
Golonies, and I give a few quotations from explorers 
on the subject. Kollowing is Captain Sturt’s account 
of the occurrence and use of Wirtilo gum by some 
natives of Central Australia: — “Among other things 
we found a number of bark troughs filled with the 
gum of the luimosa., and vast quantities of gum 
made into cakes upon the ground. From this it 
would ajipear that these unfortunate creatures were 
reduced to the last extremity, and being unable to 
procure any otlier nourishment, had been oliliged 
to collect this mucilaginous food ’ Expedi- 
tions into the Interior of Bouth Australia, ’ etc., 
1H‘28-JU, i.. IIH). Captain Sturt was not tlicn aware 
that the natives by no means look upon Wattlo gum 
as starvation food. 
(’aptain J. Eort Stokes (‘ Discoveries in Australia ') 
gives Minnung " as the name of a Western Aus- 
tralian Acacia whose gum is “very abundant," and 
eaten by the natives. 
Captain (now Sir George) Grey gives the following 
account of tlie use of Wattle gum A. ioici'obo(n/a) 
by the natives of Western Australia: — 
“ The gum of the mimo.sa is a favourite article of 
food amongst tlie natives .... K o'oo-oof is the kind 
of gum wiiicli most abounds, and is considered the 
nicest article of food. It is a species of gum 
iragacanth { HtrJ. In the summer months tlic Acacias, 
growing in swampy plains, arc literally loaded with 
tliis gum, and the natives assemlile in numbers to 
partake of this favourite esculent. As Imt few places 
afford a sufficient supply of food to support a large 
asKomblagu of persons, tliose Kwonnat grounds are 
generally the spots at wliicli tlieir annual barter- 
meetings are lield, and during tiicse fun, h'olic and 
quarrelling of every description prevail." (‘Journal 
of Two Expeditions,' etc., ii., 2fi(), 2Ul). Captain 
Grey also makes the iutcrc ting statement (p. 2UH) 
that some of these Kwonnat grounds appear to be 
visited by numerous families by acknowledged right 
at Die period when the gum is in season, although 
not allowed tlioiv at any otlicr time. This horeui- 
tary ownership is very rare amongst the aboriginals, 
aithoiigh It IS exercised in Die well-known iustauco 
of Die ArtiKcaria i{ithrUlt\ of C^uconshind. 
Buiall boys oat the more iiisolublo gums, parti* 
cularly when made into a jelly and sweetened (bco 
A. <hco.i-a‘0!<), ' 
AVattlo gum_ is considered useful ia diarrhosa (in 
such cases a little astriugeucy would of course be 
an iulvantajjc rather Dian a drawback) and piles. It 
IS also said to Ijo employed in veterinary practice 
in the country for wounds and raw shoulders in 
homes. 
I liave been shown a statement by “a good 
practkal inaii ’■ Diat Wattle gum dissolved in ben- 
zole “ makes ail excellent carriage vanish." Perhaps 
liero will be a convoniont opportunity to point out 
Diat Wattle gum is quite insoluble in that liquid, 
to say nothing of the ridiculous suggestion to use a 
true gum for a vavnisli, and to protest against tlie 
reckless statements wlijch are made in regard to our 
little known raw jiroducts. 
it would appear that aomo species, which iu their 
