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ARBORICULTURE 



A Fence Post in Constant Use for Seventy Years on 

 Farm of Augustus Sibgel, Albion, 111. 



New Evidences of the Durability of Catalpa. 



The editor of Arboriculture has con- 

 tended for many years that if a railway 

 were using catalpa crossties they would 

 require to be renewed but twice in a cen- 

 tury, that is, that the durability of these 

 ties would be thirty-five years. 



There has been an abundance of evi- 

 dence of the lasting qualties of this wood, 

 given by engineers and railway officials 

 during the past century, but the proof now 

 discovered and made public in this publi- 

 cation is of most positive character and is 

 indisputable. 



When trees may be grown in so short a 

 time as sixteen years, which will last in 

 the track as cross-ties twice the length of 



time required for the trees to grow, it is 

 worthy the attention of all railway officials 

 and is of especial interest to stockholders 

 who furnish the money for expenses. 



In 1872, the old Air Line Railway be- 

 gan laying tracks through Edwards county, 

 Illinois. In the construction of this road 

 large numbers of catalpa cross-ties were 

 used, the timber secured in the swamps 

 adjoining. Some old citizens of the local- 

 ity informed me several months since that 

 some of the ties still remained in the track 

 and that they could find them. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. H. B. 

 Spencer, general manager Southern Rail- 

 way, St. Louis, I was permitted to make a 



