98 ARBORICULTURE 



prising pioneers carried the seeds and state, and there are more and larger 



trees to distant points for ornament and -juirserics i)r»)ducing \hv trees in tliat 



sliade. Some of these stocked the home state tlian elsewhere, 



of General Harrison, near Cincinnati, and Jn isSf) the remnants of Sir Walter 



the surromiding country, l-'rom these Raleigh's first colony, on their return to 



early plantings others have heen dis- London, took with them three valuable 



tributcd through the United States, until American prcKluct.s— the potato, tobacco 



specimens of the Catalpa are found in .^„j ^ Calalpa tree. Raleigh gave the 



every state, as well as Canada and Mex- ^^ee to Sir Francis Bacon, who planted 



ICO. Probably the greatest number of it i„ the garden of Grav's Inn. which at 



arge trees in the United States ai'e about ^^^^^ ^.^^^^ ^^.^^ ^,^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^,^^1^^^ ^^^^ 



Cincinnati. Ohio; North Bend, Ohio, the ,, , ...^ 1-1-11^1. • ^-n 



, r f^ 1 TT • u ■ u\ . the nobihtv ot Lngland. 1 he tree is still 



home ot General Harrison, being but 19 ,. - , , • , 



miles distant. This was also the home ''^''''' or was recently, but in a decrepit 



of Dr. Tohn A. Warder, whose interest '^tate. As this tree was from \ irginia, 



in the Catalpa was verv great, and who "O^ part of North Carolina, it was 



described and named the large growing doubtless bignonoides. 



variety Catalpa speciosa in 1853. Thus we sec what an interest has been 



The state of Kansas has a larger area manifested in this American tree for 



of land planted in Catalpa than any other more than three hundred years. 



To Railway Directors, Stockholders and Officers. 



The object of this manual is to present, as those of Europe, with their minimum 



in a concise fonu, some of the problems grades, and as substantially constructed, 



in reference to Railway Cross-ties : What metal ties would not be objectionable, 



material shall be used? The probable save for their expense; but none of these 



cost, and where shall they be obtained? conditions exist. 



Good white oak has become too valu- Given a mountain railway with abrupt 

 able to justify its use for ties. [Note. — curves, often reversed, with the outer rail 

 There are 45 feet, b. m.. in a medium tie. elevated, a heavy freight train with half 

 which for furniture lumber is Avorth a mile length, an engine at each end or 

 $1.80. three times the price of cross-ties.] a double header: What engineer can 

 Only the larger limbs, defective portions compiite the complex forces exerted 

 and small trees are made into ties. The against the rails in many directions as 

 average life may be estimated at seven successive portions of the train are fore- 

 years, ibly thrown from side to side? [Wooden 

 Tamarack C. American larch), white tics are elastic; every spike is held in 

 cedar, chestnut, pine and redwood are place by a cushion of wood fibers, every 

 used near the localities where they grow, strain and blow being reduced by their 

 The characteristics of each are well elasticity.] How will it be with 100 

 known to Engineers of Maintenance of pound steel rails, rigidly bolted to inflex- 

 Way. il>le metal ties, with these forces pound- 

 Each year the price is advancing as ing continually ? 

 the forests decrease in extent, while rail- Accidents from broken rails and fast- 

 ways not favorably located experience enings must reduce profits materially; 

 increased difificulty in obtaining a supply. 'I'ld when they occur the slow process of 

 MET\L TIES unscrewing nuts, replacing rails, ties and 



1)olts can only result in tedious delays 



have been devised in countless numbers ; and great expense. 



some have been used upon European lines It would seem, therefore, that wood is 



with apparent success, but they are costly, far preferable to anvlhing else so far de- 



from $2 toS-i each, reaching about $9,000 vised for cross-ties; but wood is rapidly 



per mile, as against $1,500 for white oak. di.sappearing and trees must be grown 



Were all American railways as straight for supplving this need. 



