43 
The following interesting observations of Mr. William Baeuerlen are 
instructive, as showing the advantages of cultivating natural seedlings of wattle 
instead of allowing them to take their chance—in other words, they are responsive 
to any attention. At the same time this method is most successful in rainy, rather 
cold, districts. 
Major’s Creek, near Araluen, New South Wales, planted Green Wattles from seedlings in August, 
from 12 to 15 inches high. 
Height. 
Girth. 
6 years old . 
.. 1 . 
25 feet ... 
30 inches, 3 feet above ground. 
Do 
2 
. 28 „ ... 
24 
Do 
. 3 . 
. 21 „ ... 
21 
)> 
4 years old . 
. 1 . 
. 20 „ ... 
24 
5) 
Do 
2 
. 18 „ ... 
20 
)> 
2 years old .. 
. 1 . 
. 15 „ ... 
11 
)) 
None of the wattles from the place from which these were taken for planting (and some even 
exceed six years in age) exceed 15 feet in height and 10 inches in girth. 
In the same locality, there is a tree ten years old, which is 30 feet in height, and has a girth of 
3 feet 7 inches. The tree is remarkably straight and healthy, the bark on the trunk having quite a smooth, 
young appearance yet. A tree of the same dimensions out in the bush would have a dark, rough, furrowed 
bark, and would doubtless be twice the age. 
Mr. Evan Francis, when at Bega, also experimented with hush seedlings, 
and this is what he says :— 
In six months the trees ranged from 10 to 15 feet in height. The taller trees were in the more 
sheltered positions. Single specimens in open ground did not succeed half as well as those in the centre 
of the grove, where they were mutually sheltered. A distance of 9 feet, plant from plant, seemed the 
correct thing. 
At two years the trees were fine saplings of about, on an average, 20 to 25 feet high. We estimated 
that a yield of from 30 to 40 lb. of dry bark would be given by these trees at four years old, but they 
reached their prime at six years, when the bark at the lower parts of the trees had great substance, and 
the yield of dry bark would be fully GO lb. ; and I am sure selected trees would have reached 100 lb. 
This Forest Flora is not a wmrk on wattle cultivation; that part of the 
subject and the quality of w r attle-bark has been very fully gone into in my special 
work on the subject, which has been written for growers, bark-strippers, merchants, 
tanners, and naturalists,* 
I give a list of contents of the work, which I do not iutend to repeat in 
this Forest Flora. I would also state that it contains a complete list, with notes, 
of all New r South Wales wattles, most of which cannot be dealt with in this 
“ Forest Flora,” because they do not attain tree size. The work lias been a labour 
of love, and I hope my readers will show their appreciation of these beautiful 
Australian plants by perusing the information I have given concerning them. 
“ Wattles and Wattle barks,” by J. H. Maiden, 3rd edition, 190G, 103 pp. and 11 plates. Price, Is. 6d. 
Government Printer, Sydney. 
