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Fruit ,—In A. penninerois the funicle extends sometimes unilaterally, 
sometimes bilaterally (Mueller, in Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. , 1890). 
Bark. —The greater amount of wattle-bark used by Australian tanners, or 
exported from our shores, is the produce of two species of Acacia—namely, Acacia 
decurrens (and its varieties) and Acacia pycnantha. There is another Wattle of 
surpassing excellence, that of Acaciapenninervis, variety falciformis, worthy to be 
mentioned in comparison with these two. Some years ago I examined a wattle-bark 
from the extreme south of this State, quite different in appearance from the smooth 
harks which are usually associated in Australia with high percentage of tannin. To 
my surprise, I found it to contain 34 per cent, of tannic acid. I repeated the 
experiments with fresh samples, hut the results never varied 1 per cent, altogether. 
In other words, this bark contains one-third of its weight of tannic acid, calculated 
on the dry hark. Many communications have reached me, particularly from 
Queensland, in regard to this matter, and the subject is of great commercial 
importance to our State. 
I proceed to give a number of analyses of representative samples of this bark 
from different places in New South Wales. I have already alluded to one bark 
which gave 34 per cent, of tannic acid ; it also yielded 552 per cent, of extract, and 
came from Brown’s Camp, near Delegate. I have not come across a finer sample 
of this bark, though there is much of equal quality. The mature trees which 
yielded this excellent result must have each contained half a ton of bark. 
Bark from Mount Dromedary, stripped in December, gave 32'25 per cent, of 
tannic acid and 5315 of extract. A sample grown at Mount Victoria (Blue 
Mountains), stripped in June, gave 29'03 per cent, of tannic acid and 57'25 per cent 
of extract. Height of the tree, 40 feet; diameter of stem, 6 inches. Bark from 
Bylstone (Mudgee Line), stripped in December from young (immature) trees, yielded 
25‘25 per cent, of tannic acid and 42-45 per cent, of extract. All the above are from 
the “ broad-leaved ” or typical kind. 
The following arc “ narrow-leaved ” (variety angustifolia). Bark from 
Nelligen, stripped in December, gave 32-25 per cent, of tannic acid and 52'8 per oent. 
of extract; while a specimen from the Dromedary, much further south, gave an 
almost identical result, viz., 32 per cent, of tannic acid and 52’7 per cent, of extract. 
The following analysis was given by the Queensland Commissioners, Colonial 
and Indian Exhibition, 18S6 :—Tannic acid, 1449 per cent.; extract, 33-06 per cent. 
I have received a Queensland sample from Dr. T. L. Bancroft, of Brisbane, who 
obtained it from Enoggera. It was from trees 15 feet in height and 6 inches in 
diameter, Avas collected in May and analysed in July. It gave 1824 per cent, of 
tannic acid and 35*95 of extract; but the bark is too thin, and it gn r es too dark- 
coloured a liquor for it to be looked upon very favourably. 
Both of these Queensland analyses probably refer to the normal species. 
