ARBORICULTURE 



not be withdrawn. There is no more 

 elasticity in a locust tie than in cast iron. 



In track removals it will be found ex- 

 tremely difficult and slow work with cross 

 ties of locust, as much so as with metal 

 ties. Of course by boring, and using 

 screw spikes, as has been recommended fre- 

 quently, this might not be so objectionable. 



One habit of the locust makes it invalu- 

 able in a forest, that is its suckering pro- 

 pensity. It sprouts from stumps and also 

 from every broken root. Once planted in 

 forests it is permanent. As posts are cut 

 young trees soon spring up to take the 

 place of those removed. The same habit 

 will be found very seriously objectionable 

 on the line of road, as it is very difficult 

 to destroy the young suckers. 



The Chronicle mentions that the Penn- 

 sylvania Company will plant locusts on 

 the farms which it owns. That is well, 

 millions of fence posts will be needed, but 



50,000 trees seems a remarkably small 

 number to start with — when the company 

 requires seven million ties each year. 



Fifty thousand trees would plant one of 

 the company's farms of one hundred acres, 

 while it will require all the farm land 

 which the company owns to furnish ties 

 for the system. The Illinois Central road 

 began by planting 300,000 trees, which 

 will be but a drop in the bucket for that 

 road. Let the Pennsylvania engineers 

 forget the unfortunate experiment the 

 company made with a hybrid catalpa 

 some years ago— and which has preju- 

 diced the company against the most im- 

 portant tree on the continent. Let them 

 investigate before committing the company 

 to a project which must end in disappoint- 

 ment, as did the former experiment. 

 Elsewhere in this number of Arboricul- 

 ture will be found the true solution of the 

 cross tie problem. 



AMERICAN INVESTMENTS 

 IN MEXICO. 



It has been estimated that American 

 investments in Mexico amount to $500,- 

 000,000, and with them has gone the 

 energy and the enterprise of the men who 

 have advanced the money. 



The interest on the part of Americans 

 which has thus been awakened in Mexico 

 has brought that country almost immeas- 

 urably closer to the United States than it 

 was before the first American-built rail- 

 road pushed its way southward from the 

 Rio Grande into the interior of the 

 republic. 



American capital has been accepted 

 with pleasure by the intelligent and pro- 

 gressive citizens of that country, and 

 thousands of them have joined in the 

 various enterprises which through these 

 investments have been put in motion. 

 The result is seen in a wonderful im- 

 provement in nearly every part of the 

 republic, and evidence of progress on 

 every hand suggests for Mexico a great 

 and prosperous future. 



The strong government of President 

 Diaz has made these investments safe, 

 and there is good reason to believe that 

 his successor will in these and other 

 important particulars follow in his steps. 



CALIFORNIA LETTER. 

 Editor of Arboriculture -. — 



A forest fire has been raging now for 

 weeks east of the Lorna Prieta, highest 

 point in the Santa Cruz Mountains of the 

 Coast Range, near our ranch. Other fires 

 along the high wooded ridges on the 

 Saquel, towards Santa Cruz, met and 

 joined this iire with the result of making 

 the days dark with smoke and falling 

 ashes and lighting up the horizon on the 

 east at night so that we could read coarse 

 print by the glare. The heat and the 

 constant dread of being robbed of house 

 and home a second time by the forest 

 fire, made it impossible for me to do any- 

 thing except watch the fire advance. 



I am heartily in sympathy with the 

 aims and endeavors of ARBORICULTURE, 

 and only hope that some measure may be 

 advocated and carried out by which our 

 forests, our homes and the lives of people 

 living on ranches and among timbers may 

 be protected. 



Very sincerely yours, 



Mrs. J. C. M. 



