1 Dzc., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 469 
Wattle-growing in New Zealand for the production of tanning bark 
occupies an area of about 4,500 acres in the Auckland district. The Black 
Wattle (Acacia decurrens) is the only variety planted. _ 
Wattle plantations do not increase greatly, mainly owing to the length of 
time which elapses before afullreturn can be obtained. There are, however, many 
settlers in Queensland, who have from 5 to 500 acres of poor open land, where 
scarcely any clearing is needed, and on which they might in spare moments 
put in a few hundred trees which would come in to benefit some members of 
the family. We know of farmers who have occupied their land now for nearly 
forty years, and the portion of hungry, waste, untouched land lies hungry and 
waste to this day. Had this been planted ever so roughly with wattle-trees of 
the right kind, they would have been enjoying an income of at least £10 per 
acre for thirty years, and at the old prices that income would have reached 
£30 per acre. 
At Lucindale (S.A.), Mr. Newman recently read a paper on Wattle 
Cultivation before that branch of the Bureau of Agriculture. He said he had 
reat confidence that this could be made one of the most profitable industries 
of this district, as the soil, climate, and the facilities for delivering the bark at 
a seaport are all that can be desired. He saw part of a plantation east of 
Adelaide stripped; the yield being 4 tons per acre, and enough small wattles 
being left to make another good yield in two or three years’ time. The price 
obtained for the bark was £5 5s. per ton in the field; the price paid for 
stripping was £1 5s. per ton, which included cutting the trees down and 
packing them in heaps; the landowner receiving £4 per ton clear, equal to 
£16 per acre. The land was of poor quality, being very stony and sandy. 
During the past ten years he had experimented in wattle-growing in this 
district, and proved that they can be grown on almost any land that is over 
3 feet above the level of the winter flood waters. A few months ago he 
stripped a wattle seven years old that gave over 1 ewt. of bark fit for market. 
Trees of that size standing 20 feet apart each way would give over 5 tons per 
acre. That tree was grown on a limestone ridge (red soil), and he had them 
of nearly equal growth on the fern hills (white sand). As there are thousands 
of acres of open fern land in that district almost useless for grazing, and 
eminently suited for wattle-growing, he would strongly urge leaseholders to give 
that industry a trial. Such land is leased at from 3d. to 2d..an acre annually. 
About four years ago he planted 1 acre of fern land, and now estimates the wattles 
on it to be worth £8 to £10. Although the wattle has never been systemati- 
cally cultivated at Mount Benson, inthe Kingston district, still it grows there over 
a considerablearea, and last season no less than 1,200 tons of bark were strippedand 
sent to market, the pricereceivedranging from £3 15s. to £4 per ton; and as strip- 
ping costs £1 per ton, it means £1,200 being distributed amongst the labouring 
classes of the district, and about £3,500 amongst the landholders and teamsters. 
The bark grown at Mount Benson is deficient in tannic acid, consequently a 
lower price has to be taken. Where only a small area is to be planted, he 
found the following a good plan :—Commence at one side of the field, using a 
double-furrow plough, strike out the length of the piece to be planted, then 
mark out back again parallel with the first furrows and about 8 feet away 
from them, and so on through the field. Then take 1 1b. of good seed for each 
acre, place in a vessel and cover with boiling water, and allow them to soak for 
twenty-four hours, then drop them regularly along the ploughed strips and 
cover with a harrow. The next year it will be necessary to thin out the plants 
in the rows to the required distance. Where large areas are to be cultivated 
it would save time and labour to have a box fitted to the back of the plough 
with a roller through it, and worked bya belt with the near wheel, and so 
made to drop a seed or two at each revolution, and a small harrow attached 
would complete the planting in one operation, One team should do 8 acres a 
day. About every 5 chains it is advisable to leave a strip 16 feet wide 
unplanted for the purpose of drawing furrows in summer to check a possible fire, | 
and later on as a roadway for carting out the bark. He could not recommend 
