WATTLES AND WATTLE-BARKS . 
3 
(Report of Wattle-lark Board, Melbourne, 1S78.) This is the only observa¬ 
tion of the kind with which I am acquainted, and more are required; never¬ 
theless, I do not hesitate to recommend farmers to utilize any poor land 
they may have for wattle culture. 
“ Sandy soil is best, lying upon a clay subsoil.I do not think 
that taking a crop of wattles off land renders it useless for other crops; 
but I consider it an advantage rather than otherwise, from the deposit of 
leaves, which manures the land for other crops. There is nothing to prevent 
one crop of wattles following another immediately; you may take three 
or four off without interfering with the productiveness of the soil.” (J. E. 
Brown.) 
In preparing the laud, if it be virgin soil, unencumbered with scrub and 
of a light nature, breaking up of the surface, sowing the seeds, and 
harrowing is all that is necessary. If the land be covered with scrub or 
other vegetation these should bo cut down, burnt, and the land prepared in 
the usual way. 
It must not be understood that any careless kiud of cultivation will do 
for wattles, although when once started, they will thrive with scarcely any 
attention, but like other crops, the better the system of cultivation adopted, 
the better the yield and therefore the greater the profit. 
(b.) MOISTURE. 
"Wattles like a moderate amount of moisture, say from 18 to 20 inches. 
(E. Abbott.) Mr. J. E. Brown has grown wattles successfully with 10 
inches of rainfall, hut ordinary cultivators will not usually .succeed with 
less than 10 to 20 inches per annum. 
On the other hand, it is not good for wattle-trees to have an unlimited 
supply of water, as they then tend to throw out too much leaf, aud the bark 
becomes fiabby and deficient in tannic acid. 
(c.) SOWING AND GERMINATION OF THE SEED. 
The outer covering of the seed is of great hardness, and under ordinary 
circumstances it will remain in the ground for many years before germi¬ 
nation. 
I am indebted to Mr. William Neilley, of Sydney, for wbat appears to bo a 
well-authenticated instance of wattle seed remaining dormant in the ground 
for over 87 years. An allotment of land in the town of Bega, purchased 
from Mr. Spence, formerly had wattles on it, but the trees and all wattles 
near had long since been destroyed. After a lapse of 87 years Mr. Neilley 
had the land ploughed, and wattles sprang up thickly when the ground was 
trenched. 
Bush-fires, however, usually hasten matters ; and it is well known 
that perfect forests of young wattles spring up in many places after these 
occurrences* The operations of nature are therefore assisted in practice by 
means of heat, and thin heat may he either dry or moist. For the first, Mr. 
J. E. Brown recommends a quantity of brushwood to be burnt down to the 
condition of expiring embers. u ln this residuum of the fii’e the seed is 
