Acacia melanoxylon
- To: Mediterannean Plants List <m*@ucdavis.edu>
- Subject: Acacia melanoxylon
- From: T* &* M* R* <t*@xtra.co.nz>
- Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 21:21:26 +1300
- References: <01be16a6$d4725f00$LocalHost@default>
> >> Oooh!! You touched a nerve. Acacia melanoxylon!!
> I know the blackwattle is being trialed in NZ as a hardwood saw log > but don't know if its worth it.
This tree is being planted "for timber" near here (central NZ), but
these are still very young, and in fact many of them were burnt in a
bush fire that got among them.
However, I used to live in Kenya, East Africa (40+ years ago), and it
was a very important cash-crop tree there, mainly among African growers.
It was known locally as "Black Wattle" and was regarded as dual-purpose.
It was harvested quite young - about 7 years I think - the bark being
stripped off and sold to the local tannin-extraction plant, while the
de-barked timber was used either as firewood, or reduced to charcoal,
for which there was a strong local demand (as fuel).
Tony
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand
