SD 
 
 UC-NRLF 
 
 B 3 flSM 1ME 
 
 W A T T L E B A H K 
 
 .of the $>jrard 
 
 TOGETHER 
 
 STATEMENT SHOWING THE PROFIT TO BE DERIVED FROM 
 THE SYSTEMATIC CULTIVATION OF WATTLES. 
 
 PRICE, THREEPENCE. 
 
 JOHN FERRER ..GOVERNMENT PRINTER, MELBOURNE 
 
 SOLD ALSO BY 
 
 (iKO. ROBERTSON, LITTLE COLLIFS STREET, 
 
 A N'T) ALL BOOKSELLERS. 
 
GIFT F 
 

 
 
 1878. 
 
 WATT LE 
 
 ARK 
 
 ' V 
 
 
 
 xrf tltc ^oan! xrf 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 A STATEMENT SHOWING THE PROFIT TO BE DERIVED FROM 
 THE SYSTEMATIC CULTIVATION OF WATTLES. 
 
 i$g xlutfjoritg : 
 JOHN FEBKES, GOVERNlNrENT PRINTER, MELBOUHNB, 
 
EBPOET OF THE WATTLE BARK BOARD 
 OF INQUIRY, 
 
 THE Board appointed by Order in Council of the 7th day of 
 January 1878 have the honor to report that they have made a 
 full and careful investigation into the subject of wattle conser- 
 vation and the concomitant industry of bark stripping. The Board 
 were appointed u To consider and report upon the subject of wattle 
 bark, and whether the indiscriminate stripping of the trees, caused 
 by the increasing demand for bark in Continental and English 
 markets, in addition to the requirements of Victorian tanners, was 
 likely to lead to the early extermination of the trees or to a reduc- 
 tion of the supply necessary for the home trade even temporarily." 
 The Board were also asked to state whether forest regulations could 
 be so framed as to conserve and encourage the growth of the 
 wattle trees in order that a sufficient supply of bark might be 
 ensured for local requirements as well as for the maintenance of 
 the export trade. 
 
 In first approaching the subject, the Board were impressed with 
 the fact that during past years sufficient attention had not been 
 paid to the cultivation of wattles, and that consequently a direct 
 source of wealth had been neglected throughout the colony. Until 
 the appointment of the Board little or nothing was known of the 
 magnitude of the industry which might have been established, 
 although the bark trade had attained large proportions, besides 
 forming the basis of the leather industry, one of the most flourish- 
 ing trades of Australia. 
 
 The Board have given every aspect of the question careful 
 consideration, their decision with regard to the efficacy of an 
 export duty on bark, and their recommendations on the subject 
 of regulating the operations of strippers, being based on actual 
 observations made in all the main wattle growing districts of the 
 colony, together with a review of the evidence of close upon two 
 hundred witnesses, who gave their testimony voluntarily. 
 
 The advance of the leather trade in Victoria has been most 
 rapid of late years, a fact almost entirely attributable to the great 
 advantage possessed by local tanners, in consequence of the cheap 
 
 A 2 
 
 544152 
 
and abundant supply of wattle bark, now acknowledged to be far 
 and away the most powerful tanning bark in the world. Within 
 seven years the exports of leather have increased from the value of 
 111,707 to 199,304, and the exportation of hides has nearly 
 ceased, while the number of hides imported into the colony during 
 the seven years just terminated were 392,228. The total value of 
 the leather exported during seven years in question was 1,532,703, 
 this being of course exclusive of the amount required for home 
 consumption in the colony. 
 
 The Board, while considering the great importance of the 
 leather trade, have not overlooked the interests of the compara- 
 tively large section concerned in the preservation of the bark 
 export trade. As in the case of the leather trade a large increase 
 has taken place in the exportation of wattle bark during the last 
 seven years. In the year 1870 the total amount of Victorian bark 
 exported was only 1,384 tons, representing 6,418, while in 1876 
 the exportations amounted to 9,724 tons, the aggregate value 
 being 60,386. The Board have therefore been guided by the 
 desire to establish both industries on a firmer basis than heretofore, 
 and instead of making recommendations which might have seriously 
 affected one or both, they have endeavoured to discover the best 
 method by which the development of one industry would prove 
 beneficial to the other, while guarding against the possibility of a 
 diminution of the supply of bark by such means as would ensure 
 its production in larger quantities and of a better quality. 
 
 The rise and progress of the wattle-bark trade in Victoria, as set 
 out in all the evidence forthcoming, has been spread over the last 
 thirteen years only. Thirteen years ago wattles were growing in 
 most parts of the colony covering large areas of country in the 
 neighborhood of the seaboard, and contiguous to rivers, creeks, 
 and marshes, also in gullies and ravines ; but the quantity of bark 
 exported was comparatively small. The facilities for obtaining 
 bark at no great distance from the tanneries then in existence were 
 so great that no difficulty whatever was experienced in obtaining 
 sufficient bark to store a supply for three or four seasons ahead. 
 The acknowledged superiority of the bark for tanning purposes, 
 conjointly with the ease with which it was obtained, led the tanners 
 in the first instance to export shipments to England. For the first 
 two or three seasons the tanners were the only exporters, but in 
 consequence of the steadiness of the supply and demand in the 
 English market other persons ultimately engaged in the trade, and 
 many of the tanners withdrew altogether from the position of ex- 
 porters, content with obtaining a supply sufficient for their own 
 requirements. At the present time there are about ninety-six tan- 
 neries in full operation in Victoria, employing in the aggregate about 
 1,150 hands constantly. Of these establishments the largest are 
 
at Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, and Castlemaine, their supplies 
 of bark being principally drawn from the districts of North Gipps- 
 land, Mornington, Bourke, Anglesey, Grant, and Dalhousie the 
 majority of the country tanners relying on their own districts for 
 their supplies. The amount of bark annually required for Victorian 
 tanneries ranges at present from 12,000 to 15,000 tons per annum, 
 and the evidence of some members of the trade goes to prove that 
 even this large amount would be subject to an increase in the 
 event of a steady supply being ensured for some years to come. 
 It was further asserted that the excellence and abundance of the 
 Victorian bark had led to the reduction of the export trade in 
 hides to the lowest possible minimum. The Victorian tanyards 
 offered peculiar advantages, and not only were all local hides manu- 
 factured into leather in the colony, but the other colonies were laid 
 under contribution. Thousands of hides are now every year im- 
 ported from New Zealand, Queensland, and New South Wales ; 
 and this season a shipment has been received from South America ; 
 so that there can remain no doubt of the immense natural ad- 
 vantage possessed by this colony in the abundance of the bark 
 supply. 
 
 The preponderance of the evidence given on behalf of the 
 tanners went to prove that unless the supply of good bark that 
 is to say, the bark stripped from trees of at least five years' 
 growth was maintained, the tanning industry would suffer. Any 
 diminution of the supply would lead to a speedy curtailment of 
 operations, and instead of offering a market for raw hides, this 
 colony would be under the necessity of exporting them the great 
 success already attained being solely due to the natural advantage 
 possessed in the way of bark. One witness informed the Board 
 that if the supply of bark fell off in Victoria, the tanners could not 
 afford to import tanning material in lieu thereof ; and further, that 
 the firm of tanners with whom he was associated had extended 
 their operations so as to include hides actually imported from India 
 and England. Victoria, he asserted, possessed the incalculable 
 advantage of a cheap and abundant supply of bark of superior 
 quality, and to this circumstance alone was the success of the tan- 
 ning industry attributable. To this statement another witness 
 added, that the establishment of the bark supply on a sound basis 
 would lead to the further development of the tanning industry. 
 It has been made clear, therefore, that in dealing with the subject 
 of wattle conservation the tanners have been actuated by the desire 
 to secure, as far as possible, a solution of the difficulty. Their 
 manifest anxiety arose from the danger of the bark supply becoming 
 reduced in quantity on account of the increasing export trade, and 
 at the same time deteriorated in quality from the reckless strip- 
 ping of immature trees everywhere evinced. No discrimination 
 
8 
 
 whatever has been manifested by the strippers every tree capable 
 of yielding a few pounds weight of bark being ruthlessly destroyed. 
 
 The neglect shown in fostering the growth of young wattles led 
 the tanners to make strong representations on the necessity for 
 imposing stringent regulations, and otherwise restricting the opera- 
 tions of the strippers. Several of the tanners advocated the impo- 
 sition of a duty on the exportation of bark, and others went so far 
 in their evidence before the Board as to recommend the framing of 
 regulations as well as the imposition of a duty. Every witness, 
 however, asserted that their only desire was to ensure the adoption 
 of some measures for the establishment of the bark supply on a 
 permanent footing. In the event of this end being secured, they 
 confidently asserted that a large increase in the tanning trade would 
 follow as a natural result. 
 
 The Board, in the course of their inspection of the resources 
 of the wattle-growing districts, were afforded many opportunities of 
 estimating the value and extent of the tanning industry. They had 
 ocular demonstration of its importance, and also of the fact that 
 the machinery and appliances were all of the highest type ; having 
 involved a heavy outlay of capital, the aggregate result being the 
 manufacture of a superior article, partly, of course, owing to the 
 employment of a high standard of industrial ability. It therefore 
 became evident to the Board that the future of the tanning industry 
 in this colony depended almost entirely on the conservation of the 
 wattles ; and bearing in mind the abundance of the natural supply, 
 and the advantages that have accrued therefrom, the Board are of 
 opinion that special efforts should be made, without delay, to en- 
 courage the development of the bark trade. There appears to be a 
 general agreement between the tanners and other purchasers of 
 bark, on the one side, and the vendors on the other, that the prices 
 at present paid would be mutually satisfactory. At any price 
 between 5 and 5 10s. per ton, it would pay to conserve wattles 
 for the sake of their bark, and both the producers and tanners 
 would be satisfied at that figure. 
 
 The Board carefully considered the expediency of recommending 
 measures for the augmentation of the supply in years to come, and 
 also to elevate the bark trade into the position of a national 
 industry. Ever since the first utilisation of the wattle bark in this 
 colony, the operations of the strippers have been comparatively free 
 from regulations or restrictions of any kind, and the result has 
 naturally been disastrous. At the commencement of the industry 
 the men employed only stripped mature trees, the bark from which 
 possessed the full natural strength. Year by year, however, the 
 number of mature trees was decreased, the consequence being that, 
 in order to obtain easily the quantity required, small trees were 
 denuded, the bark of which was poor in quality. The tanners were 
 
compelled to purchase this bark at higher prices than ruled formerly 
 for the bark of mature age, the effect of which was stated by one 
 witness to be that "581 tons of bark were now required to produce 
 the same results as were obtained from 400 tons in past years. 
 This was entirely attributable to the inferior quality of the bark 
 brought into the market by men who had stripped without the 
 slightest discrimination." The bark was at first shipped for the 
 English market in the stick or bundle. In this form its quality 
 could be more readily judged ; but, subsequently, when the supply ot 
 mature trees became diminished, nearly all the bark was chopped or 
 ground prior to shipment, good and inferior being bagged together. 
 
 With the permanent establishment of the export trade a more 
 reckless system of stripping appears to have been encouraged, 
 chiefly owing to the difficulty experienced in the detection of bark 
 of inferior quality. Not only has the bark been stripped from 
 young trees, but the strippers have spread their operations over 
 the whole of the year, another militating circumstance, as the great 
 mass of evidence clearly established the fact that bark should only 
 be stripped during three or four months of the year ; out of that 
 season there is a depreciation of tannin in the bark. Owing to 
 these causes, and also to the moist condition in which the bark has 
 often been shipped, its value to the tanner has depreciated, and 
 purchasers in England, finding the quality variable, have not 
 entered into its regular employment as largely as might have been 
 expected. Under ordinary circumstances, and with due regard 
 being paid to the interests of the tanners, there is every probability 
 that the Victorian wattle bark would hold its own in the home 
 markets against the other tanning barks at present known. 
 
 The Board are of opinion that, with the enforcement of regula- 
 tions, confining strippers to trees of mature growth, and to a certain 
 season of the year, the quality of the bark could be maintained, and 
 the supply rendered less liable to fluctuation or possible decrease. 
 The dissemination of intelligible instructions to strippers, together 
 with increased supervision on the part of the Crown officers, would, 
 no doubt, produce a greater uniformity of quality even under exist- 
 ing circumstances. The knowledge that some provision was made 
 for the protection of their interests would establish confidence in 
 the minds of the English and continental tanners, thereby leading 
 to an increase in its marketable value. 
 
 Directly opposed to the view taken by the representatives of the 
 tanning trade was the evidence tendered by and on behalf of the 
 exporters of bark, and also the testimony given by bark strippers 
 themselves. 
 
 To such an extent did this diversity prevail, and so contradictory 
 were the statements made, that the Board determined to institute 
 a rigid personal inspection of the resources of the colony, and, in 
 
conformity with this resolution, they visited all the districts from 
 whence the supplies have been drawn. In most of the localities 
 inspected strippers were observed at work, and the Board were 
 enabled to satisfy themselves of the nature of the operations carried 
 on, and no opportunity was lost of examining the strippers with 
 regard to the probable future of the bark industry. Many sittings, 
 open to the public, were held in all the large centres of popula- 
 tion where tanning establishments were being carried on, and also 
 in those townships where the bark trade was represented. The 
 observations made by the Board, and the evidence taken, tended to 
 reduce the question into one of supply and demand. The evidence 
 and deductions of the various personal inspections may be rela- 
 tively summarised under the divisions of Crown and private lands. 
 It was pretty conclusively shown that the largest proportion of the 
 present supply is derived from Crown lands, and tracts of country 
 in the temporary occupation of pastoral tenants. In some instances 
 selectors and freeholders stated that they had lately recognized the 
 value of wattles on their land, and had consequently taken steps 
 to preserve them. The number of wattle cultivators did not, how- 
 ever, bear comparison with the strippers who roamed the country 
 promiscuously, taking bark without any further restriction than 
 that of a quarterly license fee of 25s., and in many cases even the 
 payment of this amount was evaded. Up to the present time bark 
 strippers have had a very large field for their operations, but the 
 area of Crown lands, although yet of vast extent, is becoming 
 reduced, season after season, consequently the supply of wattles 
 must be maintained in order to afford them employment in any- 
 thing like the same ratio. 
 
 The Board found that the bark industry had lately assumed large 
 proportions and afforded employment to a numerous class, the 
 majority of whom were men with families. In addition to the men 
 employed in stripping, a considerable number were engaged carting 
 the bark to the various market towns and ports, while others 
 found employment in bark mills, all independent of those actually 
 engaged in the export trade. The strippers, as a class, were com- 
 posed of unskilled laborers, many of whom devoted only a portion 
 of their annual labor to the work of bark stripping. Their earnings 
 were, as a rule, fairly remunerative, and where wattles were at all 
 plentiful, whole families w r ere comfortably supported. Many selec- 
 tors, it was also observed, augmented their income by resorting to 
 bark stripping by this means maintaining successfully the struggle 
 to pay off the accumulation of rent upon their holdings. In the 
 words of one of their number : u Without the help afforded by the 
 bark growing on Crown lands adjacent, it would have been difficult 
 to have found means to clear and fence their holdings, so as to 
 comply with the conditions of the Land Act under which their 
 
9 
 
 licenses were issued." Of the mode of stripping generally it may 
 he stated here that it has been characterised by shameful and wan- 
 ton waste, the destruction of bark in a single year being estimated 
 at fully one-half of the aggregate yield. In every wattle district 
 of the colony the same thing prevailed, over 50 per cent, of the 
 bark being left on the trees. The evidence disclosed the fact that 
 trees carrying 80 and 90 Ib. of first-class bark were denuded of 
 only a third, and sometimes less, simply owing to the greed and 
 rapacity of the strippers, who tore off the bark from the lower part 
 of the trunk, leaving all the rest to waste. Trees also of moderate 
 size, six to eight inches in diameter two feet from the ground, bear- 
 ing from 30 to 40 Ib. of bark, received similar treatment. In those 
 districts stripped in past seasons, where mature trees were naturally 
 scarce, the work of spoliation was complete, young saplings of 
 whipstick size being ruthlessly destroyed for the sake of a few 
 ounces of bark. A total want of supervision was, in many instan- 
 ces, apparent, the regulations, such as they were, being openly 
 violated. The Board observed that, within half a mile from a 
 police station, in one of the most important bark districts of the 
 colony, the strippers were actually carrying on a system of destruc- 
 tion under the immediate notice of the authorities, without any 
 interference being attempted. Only in one instance out of every 
 twenty was the tree cut down either before or after stripping, 
 although the Second Regulation printed on the back of every 
 license stipulates that u no licensee shall remove the bark from 
 any tree until such tree has been felled, and if any person offend 
 herein he shall be punished according to law." Beyond this regu- 
 lation, the State hitherto imposed no restriction on the actual 
 operations of the strippers. The Board did not fail to probe this 
 evident miscarriage of this provision, and it was found that the fault 
 did not rest so much with the officers of the Crown as with the 
 local administrators of justice. In some instances the offenders 
 against the regulations were prosecuted and the charge fully sub- 
 stantiated, but so inadequate were the fines inflicted to check the 
 indiscriminate stripping that the Crown officers were thoroughly 
 disheartened. Often they would travel some 20 miles in order to 
 serve a summons in one direction, the police court being as far away 
 in the opposite direction, and the delinquent would escape on paying 
 the nominal fine of 2s 6d. or 5s. The disproportionate punishment 
 meted out by the local benches of magistrates was, without doubt, 
 an indirect incentive to careless and indiscriminate stripping, and 
 the Board would, therefore, suggest that special attention should 
 be directed towards maintaining the efficiency of the police super- 
 vision by the imposition of a penalty of not less than 5, with 
 rewards where the convictions have been the result of unusual 
 efforts. 
 
10 
 
 Before selection became so general, the strippers, following the 
 occupation as a regular means of subsistence, roamed all over the 
 country, stripping wherever they pleased, and without much com- 
 petition. The boundaries of the wattle areas have lately, however, 
 become considerably circumscribed, and the districts open to the 
 ordinary strippers are comparatively few in number. Although 
 there is an evident desire on the part of the selectors and free- 
 holders to devote more attention to wattle cultivation than formerly, 
 yet there can be no reliance placed on this source, and unless 
 some general system is adopted there is ground for apprehending a 
 diminution of the supply. A definite system must be adopted, 
 otherwise the future of both the tanning industry and the export 
 bark trade will be endangered. Unless the Crown lands are more 
 directly utilised in the future than in the past for purposes of 
 wattle cultivation, the continuance of the supply must depend 
 almost entirely on private owners. There is no doubt that the 
 cultivation of the wattle for commercial purposes has remained an 
 undeveloped industry, and that so soon as the subject is better 
 understood the utilisation of many thousands of acres of private 
 land at present lying waste will be commenced. 
 
 Raw material, like wattle bark, having nearly corresponding 
 articles in competition on the markets of the world, must always 
 be subject to fluctuation in price, a fact which will have due effect 
 on those who cultivate the wattle as a direct source of profit. 
 Particular care was taken by the Board to elicit a general expres- 
 sion of opinion on the subject of the marketable value of bark, the 
 result being that the price may be fixed at from 5 to 5 10s. per 
 ton, delivery being made at the tanyard or seaport. Any figure 
 above 5 per ton, guaranteed for a few seasons, would have the 
 effect of causing many holders of land to turn their attention to 
 wattle growing as a regular occupation. Should any reduction 
 take place in the price named, and prevail for any number of years 
 consecutively, the cultivators of wattles on private lands might, 
 for a time at least, relinquish planting, and a scarcity would conse- 
 quently arise. This view was taken by nearly all the owners of 
 land who gave evidence before the Board, and they were positive 
 in their assertions that any reduction of prices would simply lead 
 to the destruction of wattles on their land without any regard 
 whatever being paid to the bark. 
 
 The primary object of the investigation was the discovery of 
 means whereby the chances of the supply of bark failing could be 
 reduced to a minimum, and no phase of the subject has escaped 
 careful consideration. In arriving at their conclusions and making 
 the recommendations appended hereto, the Board have been guided 
 by the result of their personal observations in all parts of the colony 
 conjointly with a careful analysis of the evidence of all the persons 
 examined. 
 
11 
 
 The age at which trees may be stripped with the best advantage 
 has been determined at from five to ten years, and it naturally 
 follows that, should any neglect be manifested in cultivating for 
 annual strippings, a serious loss would ensue, not only to the culti- 
 vator but to the general supply, consequent upon the length of time 
 that would necessarily elapse before the omission could be rectified. 
 To obviate any cessation of the supply from private as well as from 
 Crown lands, the Board entered fully into the cost of production, 
 the age at which the wattle attains maturity, and the seasons 
 during which the bark possesses the highest strength for tanning. 
 At the present time there are tracts of Crown lands on which the 
 wattle flourish luxuriantly, although the soil is so poor as to be 
 practically valueless either for pastoral or agricultural purposes. 
 These areas are peculiarly favorable to the growth of the wattle ; 
 and in such localities as the Victoria Valley, and the long sandy 
 reaches of the Ninety-mile Beach and other parts of Gippsland, it 
 was found that the trees attained early maturity, supplying at the 
 same time a bark of full strength and in good demand amongst 
 tanners. 
 
 Although there are here and there a few patches of soil of a 
 better class, yet the land presents no inducements to the ordinary 
 selector or grazier, and its utilisation, except for some such special 
 object as wattle cultivation, is never likely to be attempted. With 
 some discrimination certain areas of modified extent might even- 
 tually be selected, which w r ould contain sufficient agricultural land 
 to enable their holders to partially combine farming pursuits with 
 the occupation of wattle growing. The Board also noticed that 
 many extensive areas of land in the districts specified were leased for 
 grazing purposes at a nominal rent, and it was often on patches 
 most barren of grass or surface vegetation that the finest specimens 
 of wattle trees were met with. For the purpose for which they 
 are leased these lands are practically valueless, they may be denomi- 
 nated thorough waste lands. The State derives little or no revenue 
 from them, the return in some cases failing to pay the cost of 
 supervision. 
 
 The Board have inspected many of these areas, and from their 
 personal observations are unanimously of opinion that, as soon as 
 practicable, they should be withdrawn from ordinary selection, and 
 set apart for wattle cultivation. By doing so the State would gain 
 largely, and the interests of the pastoral tenants who are now in 
 occupation would not suffer in any degree, as their evidence goes 
 to prove that the land in question is almost useless, one witness 
 stating that portions of his holding required forty acres to keep one 
 sheep alive. 
 
 The Board consider that large areas of these poor lands should 
 be leased out, in blocks of a certain size^ for a term of years, the 
 
12 
 
 lessees to be made subject to certain rules and regulations which 
 would have the effect of ensuring the annual and permanent culti- 
 vation of wattles. The rest would be a matter of detail ; but that 
 the principle of wattle plantations should be adopted is one of 
 the strongest recommendations of the Board. The evidence of 
 witnesses in all the wattle districts sets forth that the soil is every- 
 where full of wattle seed, and that its power to retain vitality in a 
 dormant state for many years, when not under germinating 
 influences, was a remarkable fact. Many witnesses, speaking of 
 their own experience, stated that bush fires had the singular effect 
 of inducing the rapid development of a young forest. Wherever a 
 bush fire had passed over the country, myriads of young wattle 
 trees sprang up; and, in the course of their inspection, the Board 
 were afforded abundant proof of the veracity of this statement. 
 The wattles will also spring up in immense numbers where the 
 surface of the soil has been disturbed ; this being established by the 
 appearance presented by a number of paddocks formerly under 
 cultivation, but allowed to lie fallow for three or four years, being 
 literally covered with wattles of both the species most prized by 
 the tanners. No doubt can exist that the wattles are easy of culti- 
 vation, and remarkably prolific in the matter of seed. On poor 
 lands, whether in the possession of the Crown or private holders, 
 the wattles grow as readily as grass ; in many instances more so. 
 They spring up spontaneously, although the future supply must 
 not be left entirely to voluntary growth ; there must be at least an 
 occasional scattering of the seed over the surface of the land. 
 Cultivation will have the effect of increasing the quantity of bark 
 available for commercial purposes to almost any extent. Under 
 supervision, and with a proper system of pruning and stripping, 
 mature bark may be increased at least fifty per cent,, the consumer 
 being justified in paying a better price than was possible under the 
 
 O t/ JL i/ O 1 JL 
 
 reckless system of stripping carried on during late years. 
 
 The mimosa bark of commerce in this colony is derived from 
 three species of acacia, the first in point of strength being A. 
 pycnantha, more commonly known by the several names of the 
 " broad-leaf," "golden," and "green" wattle. (For the purpose 
 of more clearly defining this species, the Board has characterised it 
 throughout their proceedings as the "broad-leaf.") Next, if not 
 equal in strength, and certainly more common in Victoria, is the 
 A. decurrens, or black wattle. And the third species is the A. 
 dealbata, or silver wattle. The first named possesses a thick, glossy, 
 ovate leaf, the bark being smoother and thinner than either of the 
 others. It is chiefly found growing in the Geelong, Portarlington, 
 and Queenscliff districts, in the neighborhood of Castlemaine and 
 Avoca, in the county of Mornington, and along the sea-coast south- 
 westerly as far as South Australia. Its bark is generally considered 
 
13 
 
 superior to any other, but the habit of the tree is not so advan- 
 tageous, being of slower growth, and it does not attain such large 
 dimensions as the black and silver species. For tanning purposes 
 the silver wattle is generally discarded. It is nevertheless occa- 
 sionally stripped and mixed with other barks. It grows freely on 
 the sides of creeks and rivers, and on wet, marshy soil, and the bark 
 is weak in tanning material. The black wattle is of vigorous, 
 robust habit, and for commercial purposes is equal to the broad-leaf 
 species. It is in general demand, a regular supply having always 
 been obtained from various parts of the colony. It is met with 
 all over the Western district, in the north-east, and also in Gipps- 
 land. From the rapidity of its growth, and the ease with which 
 it can be stripped during the proper season, the Board consider 
 that for all practical purposes it is desirable to cultivate this species 
 either alone or with the broad-leaf wattle. 
 
 Other tan substances have been mentioned as being employed 
 in the tanning trade, the trees and shrubs producing which, how- 
 ever, are not indigenous to Victoria. As many of the tan materials 
 from these trees are of high value, and indispensable to tanners, 
 the Board incidentally elicited all the information available on the 
 subject. In the opinion of the Baron von Mueller, Government 
 Botanist, most of the trees known to be of practical utility for tan- 
 ning purposes may be cultivated and successfully grown in the 
 colony. The fullest information is given on the point in Appendix 
 A, which Baron von Mueller has compiled in his capacity as a 
 member of the Commission. The evidence of all the witnesses 
 examined, with regard to these tan materials, went to prove that 
 large quantities were consumed in this colony every year for the 
 purpose of producing different kinds of leather. " Cutch " - also 
 termed " terra japonica" is a tan preparation which cannot be 
 obtained in this colony at less than 20 per ton. It is obtained 
 from the Indian acacias, and resembles in character a watery extract 
 obtained from the bark of Victorian wattles. The latter being 
 pure as against the imported cutch, which is usually met with in 
 an adulterated form, is of superior strength, giving a return equal 
 to 45 per cent, of tannin. The attention of bark-strippers should 
 be directed to this fact with a view of inducing them to work up 
 much of the waste bark left on the stripping ground. Measures 
 for the utilisation of the Victorian bark in this way would be 
 widely beneficial, as a new article of export would be added to the 
 productions of the colony. 
 
 To maintain as nearly as possible an uniform standard in the 
 tan strength of bark, a certain part of the year must be set apart 
 as a season for stripping. By the adoption of such a method the 
 supply and quality of the barks could be better regulated than has 
 hitherto been possible. Trees would have a better chance to 
 
14 
 
 mature, while tanners and exporters would be assured that their 
 bark was stripped in the season when it possessed the maximum of 
 strength. The mass of evidence sets forth that the four months 
 of September, October, November, and December are those in 
 which the sap rises without intermission, and the bark is then 
 fully charged with tannin, and moreover easily removed from the 
 tree. This season does not vary more than twenty-one days all 
 over the colony, so that the four months specified will constitute 
 the bark season for the whole of Victoria. The impression appears 
 to have prevailed amongst bark-strippers that whenever the bark 
 would strip it possessed full tanning properties, but this is erro- 
 neous. After a few days of rain, during other seasons of the year, 
 a temporary flow of sap caused the bark to be easily detached from 
 the trunk, and strippers invariably regarded this as a sign that it 
 was fit for stripping, but the bark was greatly inferior in quality. 
 
 Amongst other phases of the question submitted to them, the 
 Board endeavoured to obtain reliable information as to whether 
 any experiments had been made with a view to obtaining a larger 
 yield of bark per tree, or whether a more economic mode of strip- 
 ping could be introduced than has ruled in past years. Several 
 witnesses stated that, in their opinion, a decided advantage was to 
 be gained by leaving a continuous strip of bark, say two or three 
 inches wide, up the whole length of the tree thus maintaining a 
 constant flow of sap and sustaining the life of the tree. Other 
 witnesses stated that they had practically tested the efficacy of such 
 a scheme, but the Board came to the conclusion that the advan- 
 tage was doubtful. The bark left on the tree might sustain life, 
 and the bark itself be improved in weight, but the growth of the 
 tree would be impaired, and before the second stripping could be 
 effected new trees could be grown and advanced towards stripping. 
 The plan of thoroughly stripping the wattle when once commenced 
 is, in the opinion of the Board, the only one that should be recom- 
 mended. Stripping should in all cases be thorough, as the higher 
 branches often carry the best bark, according to some witnesses, 
 and under no circumstances should there be any bark left on the 
 tree. 
 
 Under the system that has prevailed during past years, the only 
 regulation binding strippers was a provision inserted in the license 
 form to the effect that all trees should be cut down before the bark 
 was stripped. The Board from their own observations are aware 
 that this regulation was seldom, if ever, complied with, and they 
 would not recommend its inclusion in the code herewith appended. 
 The felling of the trees before or after stripping would only encum- 
 ber the ground, thereby checking the growth of young wattles and 
 of grass, besides rendering the country more liable to heavy bush 
 fires. 
 
15 
 
 The wattle grows readily in almost any soil, and it requires so 
 little attention as to make its general cultivation extremely profit- 
 able. Bush fires have in past years proved extremely destructive 
 to the wattles, while whole districts have been periodically ravaged 
 by swarms of young beetles and the blighting coccus disease. As 
 previously set forth, there is reason to believe that the soil in many 
 parts of the country contains an immense number of seeds of the 
 wattle, which are quickened into life by the germinating influence 
 of bush fires; but, owing to the great destruction of young trees, 
 this supply of seed is not renewed, consequently the time is 
 approaching when it will be completely exhausted, unless precau- 
 tionary measures are effected. 
 
 The wood of the wattle is of considerable value for industrial 
 purposes it can be readily utilised for cask staves, for axle spokes, 
 for axe and pick handles, and many other articles requiring a tough 
 durable grain. When dried, it forms the best firewood known for 
 culinary and all domestic purposes, also for ovens and furnaces. 
 It emits a clearer and greater heat than other firewood, and it may 
 be anticipated that as facilities for transit to the towns and cities 
 increase, that it will be brought into more requisition than at 
 present. The wattles may also be utilised for fencing, the trunks 
 making top rails of the best description. The commercial uses of 
 the wattle are multifarious, as, in addition to the value of the bark 
 and the wood, a good profit may be derived from the sale of the 
 gum which exudes from the trees. According to the latest advices, 
 the price of Australian gum had risen very considerably in the 
 English and Continental markets, an increase of over 30 per cent, 
 having taken place in the prices between January and March of 
 the present year, clearly proving that a better demand is setting 
 in for the article. Under such a system of wattle cultivation as 
 the Board desire to see established, the collection of gum could be 
 made an easy and remunerative employment, more especially when 
 the trees are punctured for the purpose of increasing the yield. 
 
 With the example of New South Wales and other colonies 
 before them, the Board could not ignore the danger to be appre- 
 hended from a total cessation of the supply. A few years since 
 New South Wales possessed an abundant supply of wattles, but 
 now her tanneries are kept open almost entirely by means of the 
 bark grown in Victoria and Tasmania. 
 
 Although other Victorian barks, such as the honeysuckle, the 
 ironbark, and lightwood, severally yield a certain percentage of 
 tannin, yet they can never replace the wattle, even if they were not 
 also liable to exhaustion. 
 
 Most of the tanners who were examined on the point stated 
 that, in their opinion, bark possessed the maximum of tan strength 
 when stripped during the last four months of the year, that being 
 
the season when the sap is most active. Independent of the fact 
 that a renewal of the supply of tannin is thereby effected, the fact 
 that the bark is stripped during the summer months and dried 
 under ordinary summer temperature gives it a greater advantage 
 than the bark stripped and dried during the wet months of winter. 
 The bark being exposed to damp and moisture loses a proportion 
 of its strength, the process of drying being longer facilitates the 
 change of tannic acid into gallic acid, or acids of a similar character, 
 substances of no service for tanning. 
 
 The character of the soil appears to affect, to some extent, the 
 quality of bark, this being clearly proved by the members of the 
 Board during their inspection of the North Gippsland district. A 
 sample of bark was obtained from the limestone country beyond 
 the Buchan River, and subjected to careful analysis. This analysis 
 proved that the bark from trees growing on a limestone formation 
 was greatly inferior in tannin to that of bark obtained from any 
 other district in the colony, although the climate was in every way 
 calculated to produce better results. Only a short distance away, 
 other bark was obtained and subjected to the same test, when the 
 difference was shown to be 13 per cent. From bark growing 
 within five miles of the Buchan River 42 per cent, of tan material 
 was obtained, while the bark taken from the limestone formation on 
 both sides of that stream only yielded 29 per cent.; continuing this 
 examination still further, the Board found that bark obtained from 
 the Goulburn and Western districts were about equal in point of 
 tanning strength both being a little inferior to the best bark 
 obtained from Gippsland. The bark in each instance subjected to 
 analysis was of the black or "feather" leaf species. The bark of 
 the golden or broad-leaf wattle was also tested, and the result 
 proved that its strength exceeded all the other barks by fully 5 
 per cent. From actual experience, the tanners are satisfied that 
 there is considerable variation in the strength of bark due to the 
 conditions of soil and climate as well as to the age and season at 
 which the trees are stripped. The Board, while satisfying them- 
 selves on this point, also found that the size of the trees varied 
 considerably in many districts, soil and position evidently effecting 
 the difference. One of the largest black wattles met with by the 
 Board in the Western district gave a mean diameter of 24 inches, 
 its age being ascertained at 18 years. This may be taken as the 
 maximum size attained by this species ; and, although even larger 
 trees may be occasionally met with, the wattle is at its prime when 
 about 10 years old, and possessing a trunk of 9 or 10 inches in 
 diameter. After that the trees lose their healthy, vigorous habit, 
 and are usually attacked by disease or wood insects. In every 
 district visited by the Board the most favorable specimens were 
 selected for experimental purposes, and the following statement, 
 
17 
 
 which shows the average size of wattles at the ages mentioned, 
 may be applied to the two different species recommended for culti- 
 vation throughout the colony : 
 
 Species. 
 
 Locality. 
 
 Years. 
 
 Diameter 3 feet 
 from the ground. 
 
 Black ... 
 
 Glenisla to Dimkeld (Western district) 
 
 18 
 
 20 inches. 
 
 
 
 Parish of Bairnsdale (North Gippsland) 
 
 20 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 Tullarook to Yea (Goulburn district) 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 )) 
 
 Buchan River (North Gippsland, limestone for 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 
 mation) 
 
 
 
 ,, ... 
 
 South Gippsland, heavy, rank, forest lands .. 
 
 25 
 
 17 
 
 Golden ... 
 
 Wallington, Portarlington, and Queenscliff .. 
 
 9 
 
 8 
 
 ,, ... 
 
 Avoca and Castlemaine ... 
 
 10 
 
 n 
 
 The following Table, which has been specially prepared by Mr. 
 Bosisto, one of the members of the Board, shows the quantity of 
 tan extractive in 100 parts of bark obtained from the districts 
 respectively mentioned. The percentage represents the extractive 
 matter useful to tanners only : 
 
 Species of Wattle. 
 
 Locality from which Samples were obtained. 
 
 Percentage of Tan 
 Extractive. 
 
 Acacia pycnantha golden 
 
 or broad-leaf 
 Acacia decurrens black or 
 
 feather-leaf 
 
 Portarlington, Wallington, and 
 
 Queenscliff 
 North Gippsland ... ... 
 
 Wando Dale and Victoria Valley, 
 
 Western district 
 Goulburn Valley 
 Buchan River, North Gippsland, 
 
 limestone formation 
 
 45 per cent. 
 40 
 34 
 
 34 
 29 
 
 As the Board are of opinion that the matter of wattle cultiva- 
 tion will attract considerable attention from many persons who may 
 be without the information necessary to enable them to engage in 
 the systematic sowing and rearing of the trees, they append the 
 following remarks on the subject : Wattles grow on almost any 
 soil, but their growth is most rapid on loose sandy patches, or 
 where the surface has been broken for agricultural or other pur- 
 poses. Where the soil is hard or firm it is recommended that 
 plough furrows should be made at regular distances of say five to 
 six feet apart, into which the seeds are to be dropped. The outer 
 covering of wattle seed is peculiarly tough hard and horny in 
 character, thereby forming a protection which renders the seed 
 comparatively impervious to ordinary germinating influences. It 
 will, therefore, be found necessary to employ a more direct agency 
 than simply covering the seeds with earth. Water, of a little less 
 than boiling temperature, should be poured on the seeds, and they 
 may then be allowed to soak in the water until soft. As the seeds 
 
18 
 
 are small, and ought to be sown near the surface, a very light 
 sprinkling of earth will suffice. It would be sufficient for all prac- 
 tical purposes of cultivation to drop the seeds at average distances 
 of one foot apart along the furrows, in which case about 7,200 seeds 
 would suffice for an acre of land. The wattle seed is, however, 
 inexpensive, being obtainable in most districts for the mere trouble 
 of collecting, or it can be purchased for 8s. or 10s. per pound. 
 There are about 40,000 seeds of the Acacia decurrens, or black 
 wattle, to the pound, while the seeds of the Acacia pycnantlia, or 
 golden wattle, are one-fourth heavier, and consequently represent 
 not more than 30,000 to the pound. The seeds can, therefore, be 
 dropped along the furrows at much shorter distances, and the seed- 
 lings thinned out at discretion, whereby the chances of a regular 
 plantation would be increased. On loose, sandy soil, on which 
 Acacia pycnantha can best be raised, it might not be even necessary 
 to break up the soil in any way ; but it should be borne in mind 
 that any opening up of the surface would materially accelerate the 
 germination of the seed and subsequent growth of the seedlings. 
 On such open sandy soil the straight furrow line may be dispensed 
 with and the seeds scattered broadcast. When the young trees 
 have attained the height of 3 or 4 feet, the lower branches should 
 be pruned off and every effort afterwards made to keep the stems 
 straight and clear, in order to facilitate stripping and induce an 
 increase in the yield of bark. In all instances where attention is 
 paid to the cultivation of wattles, as a source of income, care 
 should be taken to replace every tree stripped by successional 
 sowings, in order that there should be as little variation in the 
 yield as possible. 
 
 The Board would direct special attention to the enormous in- 
 crease that has taken place in the exportation of bark during the 
 last few months, as set forth in the following Return just obtained 
 from the Department of Trade and Customs. The Return is 
 chiefly valuable on account of the insight it affords into one of the 
 natural resources of this colony, and the extent to which the export 
 trade could be increased under a regular system of wattle cultiva- 
 tion, provision being, at the same time, made for an extension of 
 the leather industry : 
 
 Return showing the Quantity and Value of Wattle Bark Exported from this 
 Colony from 1st November 1877 to 30th June 1878. 
 
 Period. 
 
 Quantity. 
 
 Value. 
 
 1877. November to December 
 1878. January to March ... 
 April to June 
 
 Total 
 
 1,507 tons 
 5,683 
 
 4,188 
 
 12,195 
 42,468 
 31,240 
 
 11,378 tons 
 
 85,903 
 
19 
 
 Before November last the supply of wattle bark was said to 
 be practically exhausted, but the fact of nearly 12,000 tons having 
 since been shipped over and above the amount required for the 
 important Victorian tanning industry proves conclusively that, with 
 the exercise of a moderate amount of care and supervision, the 
 supply may be increased to almost any extent. Up to the present 
 time the supply has been derived from the spontaneous growth of 
 wattles on lands for the most part in the possession of the Crown. 
 From the fact that the supply has hitherto been maintained without 
 the aid of cultivation, the increased yield likely to follow the adop- 
 tion of a general system of wattle growing would ensure the 
 establishment of a great export trade on a permanent basis, besides 
 assuring the future of our own leather trade. A new channel can 
 be opened up for the lucrative investment of capital, while by the 
 scattering of seeds over the immense tracts of barren unprofitable 
 land in the occupation of the Crown the entire aspect of the country 
 will undergo a change. All along the lines of railway and by the 
 roadsides in the country districts avenues and clumps of wattles 
 can be grown, beautifying the landscape, while the right of strip- 
 ping could be let annually (after the first five years) at a price 
 which would go towards paying the cost of maintaining the roadway 
 in good condition. No other country in the world possesses a 
 more valuable tanning bark; and when this fact is better under- 
 stood the wattles will be looked upon as one of the many sources 
 of wealth possessed by this colony. 
 
 Before passing on to the recommendations which are the outcome 
 of the investigations of the Board, it is incumbent on the members 
 to draw attention to several matters that were prominently brought 
 under their notice. Although not directly associated with the 
 subject under consideration, the Board are nevertheless of opinion 
 that the matters in question call for early attention at the hands of 
 the Government. 
 
 In the evidence given before the Board by tanners throughout 
 the colony it was uniformly asserted that an immense loss is 
 annually inflicted, not only on tanners but also on stockowners, 
 besides being a national loss, by the indiscriminate system of 
 branding cattle on the most valuable parts of the hide, thereby 
 leading to a depreciation in the value of the leather. Still greater 
 loss is experienced in consequence of the careless, reckless, and 
 often wanton manner in which Victorian slaughtermen flay the 
 beasts killed in the abattoirs. The hides are punctured and slashed 
 in every direction, one of the leading tanners in the colony giving 
 the following evidence on this point : 
 
 " There is an immense annual loss consequent upon the negligent manner in 
 which skins are branded and subsequently flayed. I reckon that all round there 
 is a loss of at least 2s. 6d. per hide by reasori of bad flaying, not taking into con- 
 
20 
 
 sideration the damage done by indiscriminate branding. I have often attempted to 
 pick out a clean side from 1,000 hides, and failed to find one free from cuts. We 
 cannot get sufficient clean hides to manufacture belt-leather simply on this account. 
 I do not think it would be possible to get more than five pairs of bides suitable 
 for belts out of any ordinary 1,000 hides supplied to the tanneries. For harness 
 leather another forty might be obtained, but the remaining 950 would only be fit 
 for soles or exporting. The Tanners' Association in America have taken action in 
 this matter, and their regulations have had the effect of considerably reducing the 
 waste. Were some such association instituted here, the gain to tanners would be 
 very great, and the character of the leather trade in the colony would be improved. 
 The Victorian leather is brought into keen competition with the American hemlock 
 leather in the English market. I have been informed that while the quality of 
 the Australian leather is intrinsically superior, the American article is beating ours, 
 simply because of the shameful manner in which the Australian hides have been 
 branded and hacked about before tanning." 
 
 Other witnesses examined fully endorsed this evidence, and the 
 Board were themselves afforded several opportunities for personally 
 satisfying themselves of the truth of the statements. That legisla- 
 tion is necessary the Board are perfectly satisfied, and they would 
 therefore respectfully urge the Government to take immediate 
 action in the matter. 
 
 In the course of their investigations the Board have been im- 
 pressed with the necessity existing for a recognition of the principle 
 of forest culture as well as of forest conservation. The wattle 
 represents only one kind of the many trees which are of importance 
 to our technological industries as well as to the preservation of 
 our mercantile export trade, whereas many other plants are no less 
 deserving of cultivation on an extensive scale. In the present 
 report it is not necessary to enumerate the most important foreign 
 plants adapted for cultivation in Victoria, and which are sooner 
 or later destined to occupy a prominent position in rural or forest 
 culture in this colony. 
 
 The Board have personally witnessed the destruction that has 
 been going on amongst the forest timber, and they are convinced 
 that the only effectual means of checking the waste, conserving 
 the timber left standing, providing for future supply, and ensuring 
 the cultivation of foreign trees, will be by the establishment of a 
 responsible Board, which shall have power to act independently of 
 any other department. An immense advantage could be gained by 
 cultivating some of the more valuable timber trees, such as the 
 various deal pines, the kauri, the red cedar, the white and cork 
 oaks, the walnut, sweet chestnut, hickories, and the best of the 
 willows. These are all admirably adapted for the soil and climate ; 
 they could be raised million fold, as could the tea plant, the 
 cinchona, numerous fibres and fodder plants, and a practically 
 unlimited variety of grasses. 
 
 When once the principle of encouraging the growth of foreign 
 plants in the forests and on the waste lands of the colony is recog- 
 
21 
 
 nized as a State measure, a material contribution will be made to 
 the industrial wealth and prosperity of the colony. 
 
 The attention of the Government is, however, directed to the 
 wanton waste of native timber on all the Crown lands of the 
 colony. In many districts the Board witnessed the destruction of 
 thousands of splendid trees of the white and blue gums, mountain 
 ash, stringybark, messmate, and ironbark species, trees of over 
 200 feet in height being sacrificed for the sake of a single sheet of 
 bark. By the establishment of a responsible board, a much better 
 system of supervision could be ensured. 
 
 Finally, the members of the Board beg to submit the following 
 recommendations, which are based on the result of their personal 
 observations and a careful review^ of all the evidence taken during 
 the course of their investigations. Regulations are also appended 
 w^hich, if adopted, w 7 ill render the supervision of Crown lands much 
 more effective than has been possible under the system previously 
 in force, w r hile the chances of stripping being carried on in a 
 wasteful manner wdll be considerably reduced. 
 
 1. That, in the opinion of the Board, the indiscriminate and 
 
 reckless stripping of bark, as carried on in years past, 
 will, if continued, cause such a reduction in the annual 
 supply as will materially check the progress of the 
 tanning industry and export trade. 
 
 2. That regulations can be so framed as to conserve and 
 
 encourage the growth of the w r attle trees on Crow r n 
 lands, in sufficient numbers to ensure a continuance of 
 the supply required for local wants, as well as the 
 maintenance of the supply required for foreign markets. 
 
 3. That the principle of wattle cultivation should be adopted 
 
 by the State, and also by all local governing bodies 
 having the control of reserves or tracts of unoccupied 
 land. Wattles should be grown on the main roads, 
 along all the lines of railway, and on all lands which 
 are not available for other purposes. 
 
 4. That certain areas of poor land at present lying waste 
 
 should be reserved from selection (or alienation in any 
 other form), and devoted to the systematic cultivation 
 of wattles. These areas to be surveyed in blocks of, 
 say, one thousand acres, and let by tender, as wattle 
 farms, to any persons who shall produce evidence of 
 the bond fide nature of their application. The farms to 
 be let on lease for ten or more years ; and on the expi- 
 ration of the term of lease the land to revert back to 
 the Crown, the lessee to be afforded the first option of 
 
22 
 
 re-lease, or to be entitled to compensation for all im- 
 provements effected during his tenure. 
 
 5. That it should be clearly stipulated in the covenants of the 
 
 lease that the whole of the land should be devoted to 
 the growth of wattles, and that successional sowings 
 be made compulsory up to the last year of the lease, in 
 order that a continuous supply be maintained. 
 
 6. That those parts of the colony growing wattles at present 
 
 shall be mapped out in districts ; and, for the purpose 
 of affording increased facilities for supervision, licenses 
 issued in one district shall not be available for strip- 
 ping in another. Each stripper, on payment of his 
 license fee, shall receive a full and clear definition of the 
 boundaries of the district within which he must confine 
 his operations, such definition to be printed or written 
 on the license form itself. 
 
 7. That instead of quarterly licenses being issued at the rate 
 
 of twenty-five shillings each, as at present, season 
 licenses for the right to strip wattle bark on the 
 Crown lands of the colony shall be issued at the uniform 
 rate of one pound and ten shillings sterling. 
 
 & That stripping wattle bark on Crown lands shall only be 
 permitted from the 15th day of September to the 15th 
 day of January next following. Any stripping carried 
 on out of the season so specified shall be considered 
 illegal ; and the offender shall be adjudged guilty of a 
 breach of these regulations. 
 
 9. That licenses for the right of stripping bark on Crown 
 
 lands shall be issued at one central office only in each 
 district. . 
 
 10. That each license shall be issued on the following con- 
 
 ditions : 
 
 (a.) No trees of less than five inches in diameter, when 
 of the black or feather-leaf species ; nor less than 
 four inches, when of the golden or broad-leaf 
 species, shall be stripped of their bark ; the 
 measurement to be taken two feet at least from the 
 ground. 
 
 (.) Any waste of bark, from negligent stripping, shall 
 be punishable as an offence against these regula- 
 tions. The licensee to thoroughly strip the tree in 
 every instance. 
 
 (c.) Licensees shall complete the stripping of one tree 
 before commencing to strip another. 
 
23 
 
 (d.) At the time of taking out a license the licensee 
 shall register a distinctive brand or mark, which 
 he must place in at least one conspicuous spot on 
 every tree stripped, and also upon every stack of 
 bark before its removal from the stripping ground. 
 Such brand to consist of one or two Roman capital 
 letters, at least three inches high, and the trees and 
 bark must be branded in such a manner as to be 
 easily seen by the Crown lands bailiffs, or other 
 officers appointed to enforce these regulations. 
 
 (e.) That any breach of these regulations shall render 
 the licensee liable to a penalty of not less than five 
 pounds for the first offence, and that the license 
 shall be cancelled ; the holder of such license to be 
 disqualified from stripping on Crown lands during 
 the current season. 
 
 (f.) All bark adjudged to have been stripped in contra- 
 vention of these regulations to be confiscated. 
 
 11. Finally, it is recommended that the State should also 
 
 encourage the cultivation of the wattle on selected 
 lands still in a measure under the control of the Govern- 
 ment. In all cases where a selector shall adopt the 
 systematic rearing of wattles on his holding, and pro- 
 duce a certain number of tons of bark per annum, that 
 this should be considered an improvement under the 
 Land Act. 
 
 12. Should the recommendations of the Board be carried into 
 
 effect, the Board are of opinion that the necessity for 
 an export duty on bark or restrictions other than those 
 specified in the Regulations will be obviated. 
 
 E. J. DIXON, Chairman, 
 
 J. BOSISTO, 
 
 M. L. KING, 
 
 GEO. R. FINCHAM, 
 
 JOHN REES, 
 
 THOMAS COPE, 
 
 FERD. VON MUELLER. 
 
24 
 
 APPENDIX A. 
 
 IMPORTANT TANNERS' PLANTS, WHICH COULD ADVANTAGEOUSLY BE 
 REARED IN THE CLIME OF VICTORIA. 
 
 The Sumach plant. Rhus coriaria, a shrub or small tree of South Europe, North Africa, 
 South- Western Asia, and also of Madeira and the Canary Islands, where it naturally grows 
 on arid hills. The twigs and leaves, merely reduced to powder, constitute the sumach of 
 commerce. It yields up to 30 per cent, tannin (gallo-tannic acid), and is a needful article 
 for the production of the best Corduan or Maroquin leather. The cultivation of the 
 sumach-bush is in no way beset with difficulties, as it will live even on poor soil. Under 
 favorable circumstances as much as a ton of sumach may be obtained from one acre. 
 Several North American species of Rhus (viz. R. glabra, R. typhina, R. copallina) produce 
 also a good tanner's sumach, but it is necessary to collect the leaves in the spring, if 
 white leather is to be obtained ; the percentage of tannin increasing during summer, but 
 the foliage then imparting a tinge to the leather. All these sumachs, with several others 
 (from various parts of the globe), some of which have not yet fully been tested, were many 
 years ago introduced already into the Botanic Garden of Melbourne, as well as the 
 following species. 
 
 The Scotino plant. Rhus Cotinus, a bush occurring in the countries around the Medi- 
 terranean Sea, thence extending to Southern Russia. The ground leaves and young 
 branches constitute the commercial article. Both sumach and scotino shrubs become as 
 early productive as the vine, while their products, unlike the wine, are ready for the 
 market almost immediately after the harvest. 
 
 The Valonia Oak. Quercus ^Egilops and Q. macrolepis, two oaks of the regions at the 
 Mediterranean Sea. The cups of the acorns constitute the Valonia. The same oaks 
 furnish in their young acorns the Camata, and in the still younger fruits the Camatina. 
 The Valonia oaks can here be raised as easily as the English oak, though they are not of 
 quite the same celerity of growth. Both Valonia and cork oaks might with advantage be 
 planted along our railway lines, and for shading roads, and they should also engage atten- 
 tion extensively in our forest culture. Valonia imparts a rich bloom to leather. 
 
 The Divi-Divi plant. Ca3salpinia coriaria, a shrub or small tree, native of the moist 
 sea-shores of Central America. Very likely this Csesalpinia, like several of its congeners, 
 would live in our extra-tropical latitudes. The husks of the pods form the Divi-Divi, 
 one of the most powerful and quickly acting tanner's material. The extract of Divi-Divi 
 produces a bloom on leather. 
 
 The Huntingdon Willow (Salix alba) furnishes tanner's bark for glove leather of particular 
 fragrance. The Bedford willow (a form of Salix fragilis) is likewise rich in the tannin of 
 its bark. Splendid glove leather is also produced in Scandinavia from elm bark. 
 
 The Birch (Betula alba) furnishes in its bark material for the Russian Juchten leather. 
 
 The West Australian Tanner's Wattle (Acacia saligna), which proves there so highly valu- 
 able, could be with the same ease disseminated here as our own wattle-acacias. 
 
 Many other plants might be mentioned as yielding tan-substances, but the above are 
 the principal extra Australian plants which at our present yet early stage of colonization 
 could be recommended to supplement our almost incomparable acacia barks for particular 
 products of tanneries. The work of the writer on " Select Plants " can be consulted also 
 in reference to a multitude of other tanners' plants, fit to be reared in our clime. On nume- 
 rous important questions concerning the action of tan-plants, Dr. Morfit's large work on 
 tanning and currying leather may be referred to. 
 
 MEANS OF ASCERTAINING STRENGTH. 
 
 Exhaust the bark with boiling water, filter, add a solution of chromalum so long as a 
 precipitate is deposited, let stand for a few hours, collect the precipitate on a filter ; wash 
 out, dry at 212 F., and weigh ; then incinerate the dry precipitate, and weigh again the 
 remaining oxyd of chromium. The first weight, minus the latter one, gives the amount of 
 tannic acid. A less accurate method is to ascertain by a tan-meter the specific gravity of 
 the tan-liquid. Closely approximate results are also obtainable by using a standard solu- 
 tion of isinglass or, better still, quinin, the strength of which to precipitate an ascertained 
 quantity of tannic acid being known ; the measurement can be effected in graduated test 
 tubes. 
 
25 
 
 The improvement of the strength of wattle bark during a year's storage seems to arise 
 from the augmentation of catechu-rtannic acid through conversion or oxydation of catechuic 
 acid, the latter possessing no tannic properties. Bark, exposed to weather and particularly 
 also moisture, deteriorates in strength by a change of some of the tannic acid into pyro- 
 catechin or oxyphenic acid and into phlobaphen. 
 
 NATIVE TREES, BEYOND BLACK AND GOLDEN WATTLES, AVAILABLE 
 
 FOR TANNERIES. 
 
 Acacia melanoxylon ; the blackwood tree. The bark of this highly valuable timber tree 
 has generally gone to waste, after from the logs the splendid wood was obtained. The bark 
 is however very rich in tannic acid, and ought not to be left unutilized, although no 
 blackwood trees should be sacrificed for the sake of their bark alone. 
 
 Acacia penninervis ; similar to the golden wattle. It occurs in Victoria on the Ovens 
 and Snowy River and their upper tributaries, ascending to subalpine elevations, taking 
 there the place of A. pycnantha. Aii only experiment with the bark gave 18 per cent, of 
 catechu-tannic acid. 
 
 Eucalyptus leucoxylon ; the Victorian ironbark tree. The bark contains in a fresh state 
 as much as 22 per cent, of kino-tannic acid ; it is, however, available for inferior leather 
 only, as the extractive substance of this bark imparts a dark coloration, and seems also to 
 impair the tanning process. As an admixture to wattle bark, that of Eucalyptus leucoxylon 
 may attain yet great importance, this bark moreover being so heavy and obtainable from 
 gigantic trees. From stringybark, that of E. obliqua, as much as 13| per cent, of kino- 
 tannin can be obtained. 
 
 Eugenia Smithii ; a large and very umbrageous myrtle tree, of the lower Snowy River, 
 and thence extending along the lowland streams eastward. As much as 17 per cent, of 
 tannin has been obtained from its bark in the laboratory of the writer. 
 
 BanJcsia marginata ; the common honeysuckle tree. It is contended, that the bark of 
 this tree and other Banksias can be utilized for tanneries only in a fresh state. It is 
 moreover shown to be of much less tan-strength than our acacia bark. The bark of B. 
 serrata of South Gippsland has proved to yield nearly 11 per cent, of tannin. Banksias 
 cannot be reared with the same ease as wattles. 
 
26 
 
 VICTORIA. Return 
 during the Years 
 
 APPENDIX B. 
 
 showing the Quantity and Value of Bark the produce of this Colony exported 
 1870-1877 ; and specifying the Countries, &c., to which it was exported. 
 
 
 1870. 
 
 1871. 
 
 1872. 
 
 1873. 
 
 Whither Exported. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Quantity. 
 
 Value. 
 
 Quantity. 
 
 Value. 
 
 Quantity. 
 
 Value. 
 
 Quantity. 
 
 Value. 
 
 United Kingdom ... 
 New South Wales... 
 
 Tons. 
 1,297 
 
 
 5,870 
 
 Tons 
 1,485 
 
 
 
 5,825 
 
 Tons. 
 4,145 
 167 
 
 Tons. 
 18,979 1 1,615 
 586 ! 1,329 
 
 
 7,012 
 4,853 
 
 New Zealand 
 
 77 
 
 505 
 
 21 
 
 145 
 
 49 
 
 394 
 
 180 
 
 793 
 
 Queensland 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 South Australia ... 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mauritius 
 
 9 
 
 37 
 
 11 
 
 50 
 
 30 
 
 164 
 
 16 
 
 90 
 
 Total 
 
 1,384 
 
 6,418 
 
 1,517 
 
 6,020 
 
 4,391 
 
 20,123 
 
 3,140 
 
 12,748 
 
 
 1874. 
 
 1875. 
 
 1876. 
 
 1877. 
 
 United Kingdom ... 
 
 542 
 
 3,125 
 
 3,116 
 
 28,695 
 
 7,367 
 
 51,575 
 
 5,420 
 
 39,541 
 
 New South Wales... 
 
 430 
 
 1,818 
 
 1,172 
 
 6,528 
 
 2,054 
 
 6,757 
 
 1,443 
 
 8,787 
 
 New Zealand 
 
 431 
 
 2,788 
 
 349 
 
 2,660 
 
 286 i 1,934 
 
 252 
 
 1,336 
 
 Queensland 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 17 
 
 120 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 South Australia ... 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 330 
 
 2,014 
 
 Mauritius 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 10 
 
 90 
 
 Total 
 
 1,404 
 
 7,741 
 
 4,637 
 
 37,883 
 
 9,724 
 
 60,386 
 
 7,455 
 
 51,768 
 
 VICTORIA.^ Return showing the Quantity and Value of Hides imported into and Leather exported 
 from this Colony during the Years 1870-1877. 
 
 
 Hides Imported. 
 
 Leather Exported. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Quantity. 
 
 Value. 
 
 Quantity. 
 
 Value. 
 
 
 No. 
 
 
 
 Tons. 
 
 
 
 1870 
 
 18,386 
 
 15,816 
 
 1,329 
 
 111,707 
 
 1871 
 
 26,112 
 
 23,075 
 
 1,842 
 
 159,866 
 
 1872 
 
 48,965 
 
 48,190 
 
 2,039 
 
 215,143 
 
 1873 
 
 42,216 
 
 42,358 
 
 1,971 
 
 218,424 
 
 1874 
 
 53,428 
 
 58,187 
 
 1,775 
 
 190,199 
 
 1875 
 
 55,827 
 
 61,727 
 
 2,271 
 
 244,027 
 
 1876 
 
 68,570 
 
 69,062 
 
 1,992 
 
 194,033 
 
 1877 
 
 78,724 
 
 79,043 
 
 1,915 
 
 199,304 
 
 Total 
 
 392,228 
 
 397,458 
 
 15,134 
 
 1,532,703 
 
 VICTORIA. Return showing the Value of Hides exported from and Leather imported into this 
 Colony during the Years 1870-1877. 
 
 Year. 
 
 Hides Exported. 
 
 Leather 
 Imported. 
 
 Year. 
 
 Hides Exported. 
 
 Leather 
 Imported. 
 
 No. 
 
 Value. 
 
 Value. 
 
 No. 
 
 Value. 
 
 Value. 
 
 1870 ... 
 1871 ... 
 1872 ... 
 1873 ... 
 1874 ... 
 
 13,167 
 5,148 
 6,114 
 5,078 
 3,511 
 
 
 
 11,508 
 4,795 
 4,951 
 6,137 
 3,923 
 
 
 
 25,970 
 28,403 
 69,715 
 71,188 
 87,953 
 
 1875 ... 
 1876 
 1877 ... 
 
 Total... 
 
 2,531 
 3,323 
 2,913 
 
 
 
 2,754 
 2,996 
 2,997 
 
 
 96,806 
 87,636 
 104,894 
 
 41,785 
 
 40,061 
 
 572,565 
 
 Department of Trade and Customs, 
 28th January 1878. 
 
 J. CHATFIELD TYLER, 
 
 Assistant Commissioner of Trade and Customs. 
 
27 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 STATEMENT showing the Profit to be derived from the systematic Cultivation of 
 Wattles, compiled from the evidence given before the Board of Inquiry 1878. 
 
 Receipts derivable from a Wattle Plantation of say 100 Acres, planted in the 
 
 manner proposed. 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Each acre planted with wattles, 10 feet apart, would carry 400 trees ; 
 at end of fifth year trees would yield say 56 Ib. matured bark ; 
 stripping only every third tree 333 tons would be obtained off 100 
 acres ; this, at 4 per ton, would give for first stripping ... 1,332 
 
 In the sixth (or following) year, a similar number of trees would be 
 stripped, the bark having increased in weight say 14 Ib. ; the 
 increased yield of second stripping would therefore be 400 tons, 
 at 4 per ton, making 1,600 
 
 In the seventh year the remaining trees would be stripped, from 
 which a still greater increase would be obtained say 480 tons, 
 at 4, making 1,920 
 
 The aggregate yield of bark during the first eight years would be 
 
 1215 tons, amounting in value to ... ... ... ... 4,852 
 
 Estimate of Expenditure on a Wattle Plantation of 100 Acres during 
 
 Eight Years. 
 
 s. d. s. d. 
 Rent of 100 acres for eight years at the rate of 6s. per 
 
 acre per annum ... ... ... ... ... 240 
 
 Ploughing 100 acres in drills 10 feet apart 25 
 
 Sowing wattles and actual cultivation, including cost 
 
 of seed 37 10 
 
 Supervision for eight years, nominal, say 10 per annum 80 
 Pruning the trees, taking off useless wood, &c. (only 
 
 necessary for two years), 10s. per acre ... ... 50 
 
 Incidental and unforeseen expenses ... ... ... 27 10 
 
 Interest on the whole amount expended during the 
 
 eight years ... ... ... ... ... ... 240 
 
 700 
 
 * Actual cost of stripping and carting, as shown below... 1,515 
 
 1,515 
 
 J* Profit balance, exclusive of improvements or supple- 
 mentary sowings ... ... ... ... ... 2,637 
 
 2,637 
 
 4,852 
 
 * 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 1,215 tons would be 1,515, leaving a clear profit on the 
 100 acres (after allowing for the primary expenditure) of 2,637. 
 
 f In addition to the bark taken off the land, a fresh supply would be available in two seasons 
 afterwards, as the Board recommend that every tree stripped should be replaced by another 
 sowing. All improvements effected may be calculated as additional profit. 
 
 JAMES THOMSON, 
 
 Secretary to the Board. 
 
 By Authority : JOHN FERRES, Government Printer, Melbourne. 
 

Binder 
 Gaylord Bros. 
 
 Makers 
 Syracuse, N. Y. 
 
 PAT. JAN 21, 1908 
 
 U.C. BERKELEY LIBFU 
 
 544152 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY