UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. IHLI.ETIX NO. All are more or less in cultivation in California [In order to render the results of investigations f or ornamental purposes, the one most com- and experiments conducted by the Agricultural De- mon l y seen being No. 2, with feathery leaves partment of the University of California more quick- jand golden .h ued) odo rous flowers, now just Iv and more generally available than has heretofore V ' , J? • . . , ' T . ■ n j • 1 j been done through 'the annual or biennial reports, bursting into bloom. It is usually designated it is proposed to embody hereafter, in the form of b y nurserymen as Acacia rmllissima, which "Bulletins," to be issued as often as may seem de- ruime, however, according to V on Mailer, prop- sirable, report of results, as well as such other discus- erly belongs to the black wattle, No. 1, while sions, information or answers to questions as may No. 2 should be known as A. deaibata, from the be of general interest. It is intended to make these whitish, silvery sheen of the leaves. Both are bulletins, as a rule, short enough for insertion in the supposed to be mere varieties of one and the daily or weekly papers of the State, and proof-slips game species, A. decurrens. It will be noted, of the same will be regularly mailed to papers apply- however, that they differ very widely in value ing therelor. The substance ot these bulletins will ultimately be embodied in a more complete and con- „ u , , u „,„ , . . nected form, in the annual reports of the College of 9^ half the amount of taiimn contained m the Agriculture ] °ark of the black variety. But even this does "„,,.*; . . . , . , , . . not fully express the superior value of the latter, The chief material thus far used in tanning the Darker which is nearly one-quarter of an in California is the bark of the chestnut-leaved inch in thickness, while that of the former is or tan-bark oak (Quercm densiflora); the bark of less than half as thick, viz., 3-32 of an inch, so the other native oaks being but little esteemed tha * ^e case the expense of production , , , ° ... would be bestowed upon less than one-fourth or for the purpose, and moreover costly m strip- the active tannin produced hi the other. As ping, on account of their low.sturdy and branch- the two kinds are very much alike in appear- ing habit of growth. The tan-bark oak, how- ance, it is important to bear this fact in mind. „ • . r . .. ., , The olauts now offered for distribution from the ever, is a tree of comparatively limited range, ±r? F"*"" r ... I University are seedlings grown from a tree on and already in consequence of the brisk demand the g-wafo 0 f the institution, 13 years old, for its bark, very serious inroads have been w hich is twelve inches in diameter three fVec made upon the forests of which it, mostly forms above the ground( and f orty f ee t high; therefor only a subordinate ingredient. Whether in the o{ id growth. The wood is used for cask future the demand can be supplied by the hem- stave8) W ugon-making, etc. in Australia, and is lock bark of the Northern coast, is as yet a excellent firewood mooted question; (hence the importance of en- No 3 the Golden wattle, though having a deavonng to develop, within the State, some bark al in every respe ct to that of the black reliable and permanent source of supply for the wattle is a muc h smaller tree; hence more various purposes of the tanner, aud which shall j cost i y m str ipping and the wood of less value, yield more quickly than the slow-growing All are quite modest in their requirements as native oak. The following determinations have ; ^ Q go ji and care as sources of tan-bark, the silver wattle showing been made with this view, the material being from plants known to be well adapted to this climate. Analyses of Tanning Materials. 1. Bl'k Wattle (Acacia decur tow. var. mullinima.) Bark 36.23 1 Silver Wattle (Acacia de- curren*, var. deaibata.) Bk 33.59 3. Golden Wattle (Acacia \ pucnantha.) Bark 33.67 %> European Tanner's Sumac (Hhus Curiaria ) Leaves. . o- Californian Tall Sumac (Rhus inUgri folia.) Leaves 0. "Canaigre" (root of Ru- 1 wex hymenwepalw) 71 ' Loss when dried at 100° C, or 212° Fahr. The wattles, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, are species of icacia used in Australia as sources of tan-bark, which is known in commerce as "Mimosa bark. Further details on this subject may be found in the report of the College of Agriculture for 1S82, and in the U. S. Agricultural Report for 1878. The European Tanner's sumac, No. 4, has Per cent, of nt > w been grown for several seasons on the tanniu in— University grounds, and, as might be expected from its Mediterranean origin, is found per- fectly adapted to the climate of Middle and Southern California. Its leaves show the full average of the European product in the tannin percentage, and, as it is especially valued for preparing the finer kinds of fancy leather, its product is higher priced than that of the American sumacs, which, moreover, would not thrive so well in this climate. The seed of this plant, imported last season, has unfortunately not germinated well, so that plants cannot as yet be distributed for trial in the State. (For farther details see the Report of the Collge for 1882, page 108.) For comparison I place alongside No. 5, showing the tannin percentage of the leaves of the South Californian tall sumac, as given in the report of the College for 1879. Its product might perhaps be improved by cultivation, but its foliage is less abundant than that of the Sicilian, and there seems to be no reason for preferring it, except where it can be gathered from the wild bushes. No. 6 shows the tannin percentage of the root It appears as the general result of these in- of the Canaigre, or Tanner's Dock of Texas, vestigations, that as regards the wattles, the New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California and sumac and the dock, the dry climate of Cali- adjacent portions of Mexico, where it frequents fornia brings their tannin percentage fully up deep sandy, and often otherwise unavailable to that which they show in their native coun- soils which often teem with its small, sweet- tries; and as regards the two former at least, potato-like, fleshy roots. The samples were it cannot be doubted that they can be profit- kindly furnished by Dr. C. C. Parry, from near ably grown in this State, with anything like a San Gorgonio Pass, and.it is now growing en healthy state of the labor market. The plant- the University grounds " The same root was ing of ten acres of the black wattle, lately re- investigated by the U. S. Department of Agri- ported as having been made near San Gabriel, culture (see reports for 1878 and 1879); but the by Mr. J. De Barth Shorb, will, before long, present sample shows a tannin percentage bring the matter to a practical test; since the higher by one-half than the Texas samples there reported. trees are stripped when from five to ten years old. E. W. Hilgard. Berkeley, Jan. 23, 1884.