Page:A primer of forestry, with illustrations of the principal forest trees of Western Australia.djvu/107

101 roots, and planting the little tree in the place prepared for it. A thorough watering should follow.

Although the holes which are to receive the trees may be deeply dug, the trees should not be planted too deeply, especially in stiff clay soils.

Care should be taken to see that the holes do not hold free water during the winter; good drainage is as necessary for the successful growth of trees as for that of farm and garden crops. During the first year or two of the life of the tree, the soil surrounding it should be kept loose by shallow digging, or hoeing; this will facilitate the entrance of air and water, and will lessen the amount of evaporation of soil moisture during the dry weather.

In dry districts, when water is available, the water should not be applied too close to the trunk of the tree. The feeding roots are gradually extending over a larger area, and this extension of the root system is encouraged if the water is applied some feet away from the tree. A thorough watering occasionally is much better than frequent light applications; in fact, very light waterings do more harm than good by making the capilliary connection between the subsoil water and the surface of the soil. After every watering, as soon as the soil is dry enough, stir il well with the hoe, and cover it with a grass or straw mulch.

Wattles.—The wattle is one of the commonest objects in the Australian bush, and more so perhaps in the Eastern States than in Western Australia. Everyone knows it and everyone admires it, and its golden glory of bloom has led to its being chosen as Australia's national floral emblem. There are many wattles indigenous or native to Western Australia, but most of them are only shrubs. There are a few, however, which attain the size that entitles them to be called "trees." Among these are the Coastal Wattle (Acacia saligna), the Raspberry Jam (Acacia acuminata), and the Manna Gum (Acacia microbotrya). There are other wattles now growing freely in Western Australia, such as the Black or Green Wattle (A. decurrens), the Golden Wattle (A. pycnantha), the Silver Wattle (A. dealbata), and the Cootamundra Wattle (A. Baileyana), but these have been introduced from the Eastern States and cannot be included amongst our forest trees.

Wattles at their best do not grow to any great height, but their spreading habits give them a handsome and graceful appearance and make them conspicuous wherever they are found. More especially is this the case when they are covered with a rich dress of bloom. They are very suitable as ornamental trees in avenues and the like.

Wattles are not found in Western Australia outside the South-Western portion of the State. The Badjong is a comparatively tall species, the stem sometimes attaining a diameter of one foot or even more. This variety is generally found lining the banks of rivers. The other kind (the Weeping Wattle) is also found in similar situations, but it does quite well too on sandy soil. This variety has been made use of in South Africa for the purpose of stopping the inroads of drift sands, for which purpose it is admirably adapted.

But the wattles, beyond their handsome appearance, are also of great value in industry. The barks of all wattles contain a certain percentage of a compound called tannin, which is used in converting skins and hides into leather. Since the earliest date of settlement in Western Australia the barks of native wattles have been used for this purpose, but the barks of the native trees are not so rich in tannin as those of the two mentioned above as having been imported from the Eastern States—the Black Wattle and the Golden Wattle. The wattle is easy to cultivate, and in some of the other States it is cultivated regularly as a crop for the sake of its bark. The adoption of a similar practice here is very desirable, for it would go some way to keep in the State the considerable sums of money sent away every year to other countries for tanning material. It is easy to recognise the wattle from the peculiar manner in which its leaves or leaf fronds are arranged. The drawings on another page illustrate the two West Australian varieties mentioned.