The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-29
a SUBSTITUTE FOR OAK BARK.
It's Cultivation in the Southern States
Officially Suggested.

O4LS4aAly OuBB B6Sb5u'
WASHINGTON, July 2S.-In a special re-
port to the department of state, dated June
3, 1899, Thomas b. Merry, assistant COM
missioner from the United States to the
Melbourne centennial exhibition of 1883,
thus suggests 8 new substitute for oak
bark, and recommends its cultivation in
the southern states:
The growing scarcity of oak bark in the
United States, and the substitution of all
sorts of chemical agencies in the production
of leather, leads up 30 the inquiry as to
whether other vegetable products cannot
be found to fill its place Till within the
past welve years oak was Indispensable in
ship-building, but iron has been substituted
almost entirely for it, more especially in
vessels driven by steam. In the ordinary
course Of events this should have given
some respite to the oak forests of the United
States, but such Is not the case. The grow
ing demand for oaken furniture in the
homes of the rich has so thnued out the
timber that it is soon destined TO become as
costly as mahogany or black walnut. Hence,
all idea of cu.tivating oak tor tanning pur-
poses must be abandoned, as it is of too
slow growth.
"On recent visit to Australia, where l
spent over SIX months in the employ of the
state department, it was my good fortune
to come across vegetable product which
will, in my belief, become q ready and per-
feet substitute for the rapidly vanishing
oak of cur country. It is called there the
waffle, aadSAeloDgs to the widespread
family of aoaeas. These trees are culti-
yaCed extensively in the colonies of New
South Wales aud Victoria, where they lend
q charm to the scenery, both by their
fragrant blossoms and exquisite foliage.
The Two varieties most cultivated in those
colonies era the black waffle and
the broad-leafed waffle. Both these varie
ties are indigenous to an exceedingly dry
climate and poor soil, and attain their
growth in about SIX years noticed they
attained greater diameter Of trunk, and
consequently q greater amount Of bark in
the moister localities near the coast, but
was told that the bark grown there con-
tanned a less pecsntage of tannfc acid than
that produced on the arid plains north of
Murray's river. On my return to the
United States, in January last, | brought a
small quantity of the reeds with me to give
to friends in California, where they are
already coming to vigorous and healthy
growth.
THE BLACK WAFFLE.
"The black waffle acacia decurrens)
produces the larger amount Of taunic acid,
and is, therefore, preferred by the trade in
England, where its market value fluctuatss
from $38 to S42 per ton, according to the
supply in the market Its tanning proper
ties may be readily inferred when | state
that hides can be readily tanned in bath
of liquor made from black waffle in forty
seven days, whereas in liquor made from
the best Santa Cruz oak tine best found in
all the Pacific states) the time required is
from seventy-five to eighty days. The
black waffle contains from 30 to 32 per cent.
of tannic aci1, and table If comparative
percentages will show its industrial value:
Per cent
Black waffle ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 30 to y
BrOad-leafed waffle e........-+.....-.... 70 to 2S
Santa Cruz oak. ak............-............ 10 10 Is
Sskey or mountain oak. .............. u to 10
Sacramento valley oak. ,.............. IL TO u
"This will be sufficient, I think, to con-
vince the most skeptical of tue real value
of the Australian wattles and of the neces-
sity for their immediate introduction
INTO America, as we'll as their discrimination
by the AGRICULTURAL department of the ma
tional government. Certainly if the mill
ions OF dollars already invested in the tau
neries Of Am srica are not to be impaired
for the want Of proper vegetable chemica S,
some such step should be taken at once TO
relieve a,gTowing stringency.
ADVANTAGES OF THE BROAD LEAFgD
WAFFLE.
"The broad-leafed waffle (Acdcia pycGn-
thea, while il does not possess the tannlc
properties Of the black waffle, has several
advantages overit. 1t is larger and hand
somer tree, and, being a native Of the
mountain slopes Of the picturesque Dande-
nong range, can withsta d a greater degree
of frosty weather than its cougener. For
this reason, while am confident that the
black waffle will thrive in the dry climate
and arid soil Of Arizona, New Mexico and
Texas. as it is already doing in the southern
counties OF California, l am equally conf
dent Of the SUCCESS Of the broad-leafed
watsles in the statss Of Louisiana, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas, espe-