On loose sandy soil, it might even be unnecessary to break up the soil in any way : the furrows may be dispensed with, and the seed sown broadcast after the land is harrowed. After the plants have come up, they should be thinned so that they stand 6-8 ft. apart. When the young trees have attained the height of 3-4 ft., the lower branches should be pruned off, and every effort afterwards made to keep the stem straight and clear, in order to facilitate the stripping, and induce an increased yield of bark. It is advisable that the black and broad-leaved should be grown separately, as the black wattle, being of much larger and quicker growth, would oppress the slower-growing broad-leaved one. Care should be taken to replace evely tree stripped by re sowing, in order that there should be as little variation in the yield as possible. The months of September-December, in Victoria, are those in which the sap rises without intermission, and the bark is charged with tannin. Analysis proves that the bark from trees growing on limestone is greatly inferior in tannin to that obtained from other formations, differing 10-25 per cent.
The estimated expenditure on a wattle-bark plantation of 100 acres during 8 years is:— s.
Rent of 100 acres for 8 years at 6s. per aere per annum .. .. 240 0 0 Ploughing 100 acres in drills 10 ft. apart .. .. 25 0 0 Sowing wattles and actual cultivation, including cost of seed .. 37 10 0 Supervision for 8 years (nominal), say 101. per annum .. 80 0 0 Pruning the trees, taking off useless wood (necessary for 2 years), 10s.
Incidental and unforeseen expenses 27 10 0 Interest on the whole amount expended during 8 years .. 240 0 0 700 0 0 Actual cost of stripping and carting, as ehovrn below .. .. 1515 0 0 £2215 0 0 The receipts derivable from a wattle plantation of 100 acres, planted in the manner proposed, would be :— d.
Each acre planted with wattles, 10 ft. apart, would carry 400 trees, and at end of 5th year trees would yield say 56 lb. matured bark : strip ping only every 3rd tree, 332 trees would be obtained off 100 acres: this, at 4/. per ton, would give for lat stripping .. .. 1332 0 0 In the 6th or following year, a shnilar number of trees would be etripped : the bark having increased in weight (say 14 lb.), the in creased yield of 2nd stripping would be 400 tons at 4/. per ton .. 1600 0 0 In the 7th year, the remaining trees would be stripped, from which a still greater increase would be obtained, say 480 tons at 4/. per ton .. 1920 0 0 Total yield of bark .. .. 4852 0 0 The cost of stripping would not exceed 15s. per ton, on account of the facilities presented by the regularity of the trees, while carting would represent another 10s. per ton : these combined charges would be 25s.
per ton, and on 1215 tons, would be .. 1515 0 0 Leaving a clear proflt on the 100 acres of .. £2637 0 0 The exports of mimosa-bark in 1876 were 11,899 tons from Victoria, 4758 from S. Australia, and 1735 from Tasmania. Later returns are included in barks, p. 1988. Shanghai imported 7038 pietas (of 1341b.) in 1879. The approximate London market values of mimosa-bark are :—Ground, 6-131. a ton ; chopped, 5-121.; long, 51.-91. 10s. A very superior extract has been made from this bark.
Myrobalans or Myrabolaras.—The fruits of several species of Tertninalia constitute the myrobalans of commerce ; they are chiefly T. Chebula and T. Belleriea, natives of India, the former being a tree 40-50 ft. high, and esteemed for ita timber also. The fruits contain 30-35 per cent. of gallotannio acid, producing a soft and porous tannage, and good samples giving a bright-yellow colour. The tannin exists in the pulp, and is absent from the very hard " stone." The dried fruits are known locally as har, harra, or bahera, and are used commonly for dyeing, but not for tanning.
Our imports of myrobalans in 1880 were :-238,151 cwt., 121,465/., from Bombay and Sind ; 115,670 owt., 51,3391., from Madras ; 11,020 cwt., 4717/., from Bengal and Burma ; 3520 cwt., 14021., from other countries ; total, 368,361 cwt., 178,923/. Our re-exports in 1880 were 8015 cwt., 43281., to Germany ; 16,127 cwt., 85151., to other countries; total, 24,142 cwt., 12,8431. The approximate London market values of myrobalans are 7-14s. a cwt. for good, and 5-10s. for common. Shanghai imported 4403 pieuls (of 133* lb.) in 1879.
(FR., Ecorces de Chene ; GER., Eichenrinden).—The barks of several species of oak have valuable tanning properties. They are chiefly :—The common oak (Quercus Robur), which is of eveu greater importance as a timber-tree (see Timber—Oak) ; the cork oak (Q. Suber), described at length under Cork (see pp. 722-9); the evergreen oak (Q. Iles); and the American chestnut oak (Q. sessiliflora). These barks are among the most esteemed tannins as regards quality of leather, but are incapable of giving much weight, and from their bulk are costly to handle, containing only 10-12 per cent. of tannin (quercitannic acid). They give a reddish fawn-coloured leather, and deposit a good deal of bloom, but yield no gallic acid. The barks of the cork-oak and evergreen oak from S. Europe, are stronger and darker-coloured than English bark. The American chestnut oak contains a peculiar fluorescent principle like resculin.