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M'A TILE CULTIVATION.
THE valuable results that must follow the
cultivation of wattle trees, in. a systematic
manner and on well-defined lines is shown
by the fact that the Victorian Conservator
of Forests has accepted a tender of £450
for the right to strip bark from the wattle
trees planted on each aide of the railway line
between Colac and Birregurra. The total
length of tho cultivation is about seven milos,
and stripping operations are limited to trees
4in. in diameter and upwards. This will
embrace about one-third of the crop which
was planted between six and seven years ago.
The' species includes the acacia curren*
and the acacia pyonantha, the i YO best
descriptions suitable for tanning purposes'.
There ia a large plantation of wattle trees
on each side of ' the railway line between
Melbourne and Geelong. They were planted
nearly G years ago, and in the course of
another year a large portion of them will
bo fit for stripping. It is estimated that the
valuo of the bark will be about £10,000-a
highly satisfactory result when it is con-
sidered that the expense of ploughing, plant-
ing, and sowing was. under £1 per acre;
There are 850 acres of Wattle trees between
3 and G years of . age in one plantation at
the You Yangs, and in the course of another
year a large proportion of the trees will be
ready for stripping. Last year 400 tons of
bark, valued at nearly £3000. were stripped
from 2000 acres of indigenous wattle trees
growing in the You Yangs State forest.
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