ARBORICULTURE 



379 



kinds of timber growing in the vicinity of 

 the lines. 



From nine years' duration as the best 

 heart white oak, the average has fallen to 

 four or five years. 



This has led to the more extended use 

 of treating plants, the inferior woods thus 

 being made available through antiseptic 

 solution. 



The redwood of California is rapidly 

 worn by the grinding motion of the rails 

 acting upon sand which finds its way be- 

 tween the tie and rail. The use of tie 

 plates but partly overcomes this rapid wear. 



Beech, which is totally worthless when 

 placed in contact with moist soil, is trebled 

 in durability by the ordinary zinc chloride 

 treatment. 



Red oak, good for only four years, may 

 be extended to twelve by chemical treat- 

 ment. White pine and other woods may 

 be made to last from ten to fifteen years if 

 the treatment is thorough. 



In Europe the creosote used in preserva- 

 tion of timber is a product of wood distilla- 

 tion. 



The great expense of this material has 

 led to the use of coal tar products, under 

 the name of creosote, but it is much in- 

 ferior. Both processes are too expensive 

 to justify their use in treating cross ties 

 and a resort is had to a by-product of the 

 smelters, zinc chloride. 



Glue and other substances are used by 

 the various preserving plants to fix the 

 zinc in the pores of the wood, but in time 

 it is liable to be re-dissolved and washed 

 out, leaving the wood subject to attack by 

 the fungus which causes decay. 



One variety of wood, a native of the 

 United States, is in itself proof against 

 decay. In the fiber of the wood there is 

 stored away those antiseptic substances 

 which makes it practically immune to the 

 attacks of rot fungus. 



This is catalpa speciosa, many articles 

 of which have lasted through more than a 

 century. 



The earliest railways of southern In- 

 diana, southern Illinois and southeast 

 Missouri, were constructed through or near 

 the catalpa slashes or swamps and when- 

 ever possible to secure this wood, which 

 even through the sixteenth century had 

 gained a reputation for extreme durability, 

 it was used for telegraph poles, bridge 

 timbers and cross ties or sleepers. 



Engineers of that period were profuse in 

 their admiration and praise of the catalpa 

 as a most enduring wood and well suited 

 to those uses, but through the changes of 

 officials which have taken place, the ident- 

 ity and location of most of those ties has 

 been lost, yet enough remains to convince 

 reasonable men of the high character of 

 catalpa for durability and adaptability for 

 ties and poles. 



The great abundance of white oak in 

 the middle states up to a recent period and 

 the low price of ties, has prevented a care- 

 ful study of this subject except with a few 

 earnest men. 



One catalpa tie, which was in the L. & 

 N. tract for fifteen years, is now in pos- 

 session of the engineer's department of the 

 Illinois Central Railway. 



Another for twenty years in the Cairo 

 Division of the C. C. C. & St. L. Railway 

 is in the Big Four Engineer's office at Cin- 

 cinnati, Ohio. 



On page 380 will be found other evi- 

 dences. 



Mr. Barney, the Senior, the veteran car 

 builder of Dayton, Ohio, mentioned several 

 ties and timbers which had been in use for 

 very long periods, while Dr. John A. Ward- 

 er, Mr. Robert Douglas and others, a 

 quarter of a century ago, offered abundant 

 evidence in this regard, all being enthus- 

 iastic in praise of the catalpa for railways. 



There is no reasonable doubt that cross 

 ties made of sound, seasoned catalpa wood 

 will last thirty-five years, or five times as 

 long as oak, seven times as long as red- 

 wood or pine. 



A forestry organization was recently 

 effected at Cincinnati at a meeting held in 

 the Gibson House parlors. Hon. John B. 

 Peaslee, John H. McMackin, Herman Ser- 

 odino, Charles T. F. Fennel, Adolph Leue, 

 Charles Prior and Charles A. Gehrlein are 

 the committee of organization. We wish 

 them abundant success. 



Please remember that Arboriculture 

 is published at Indianapolis, but mail for 

 the editor should be sent to Connersville, 

 Ind. Subscription price, $1.00 per annum. 



