io8 



ARBORICULTURE 



W^iere shall they be obtained ? Of what 

 will they be made? What will be their 

 cost? These are pertinent questions hiit 

 are capable of intelligent solution. 



The Catalpa tree will make the ties, in 

 sixteen years ^jrowing to a size that will 

 make five cross-ties, which will last for 

 thirty-five years. 



Upon almost every railway right-of- 

 way may be growing 640 trees to each 

 mile of track, omitting the inside line of 

 curves, but planting one row of trees 

 upon each side the track, and 40 to 50 

 feet from center, trees one rod apart. 



In sixteen years this will provide 3,000 

 ties, being enough to relay the mile of 

 track. 



Since the Catalpa renews itself from 

 the stump, when cut. and the young 

 shoots grow very rapidly with the well- 

 established roots to support the new 

 growth, the trees would be permanent, 

 and fully supply all requirements for ties, 

 fence posts, telegraph poles and lumber. 



By cutting a portion each year the 

 avenue would remain unbroken. 



An avenue 1,000 miles long! As many 

 railway lines are of much greater length 

 than this, it would be one of the happiest 

 views which America could possess. 



Transportation of ties for long dis- 

 tances now constitutes a large portion of 

 the cost. This may be entirely eliminated 

 by growing them where they are to be 

 used. 



One year old trees are always used in 

 forest planting, and these may be had 

 at from $5.00 to $10.00 per 1,000 trees. 



Directions for planting Catalpa: The 

 utmost care should be observed in ob- 

 taining the hardy western Catalpa speci- 

 osa. Unless it is specially desirable to 

 start with the seed, by all means purchase 

 one-year plants. 



In growing plants the seed should be 

 drilled in nursery rows about 25 or 30 

 per foot, with rows 4 feet apart, covered 

 very lightly, kept clean from grass and 

 weeds, and transplanted the first year. 

 Tliere are 10,000 seeds to a pound. 



Thorough cultivation is essential. In 

 the autumn when the wood has ripened 

 they are taken up, tied in bunches of 100 

 and heeled in for the winter. In spring, 



with the ground well prepared, furrow 

 uut deeply rows eight feet apart, and 

 plant trees eight feet in the rows, the in- 

 termediate spaces being cultivated in po- 

 tatoes, corn, or some non-vining veget- 

 able. Neither wxeds nor grass should be 

 ]K'rmitted to grow, a sod of grass will 

 (|uickly ruin the Catalpa. The trees will 

 thus form tall upright trunks, with few 

 side branches. After the fifth year the 

 shade and falling leaves will protect the 

 tree, without further cultivation ; it may 

 be sooner. By the eighth year all trees 

 should be removed except the permanent 

 stand, not closer than 16x16 feet, in order 

 to give room for the roots and each its 

 share of moisture. This will give 170 

 permanent trees per acre. 



The cost of planting will vary accord- 

 ing to local conditions. The land should 

 be such as would produce a fair crop of 

 corn. 



ESTIMATE PER .XCRE. 



Value of land, say . . .$20.00 



Preparing the land 5.00 



680 trees, 8x8 feet 5.00 



Labor, planting and cultivating. . . 5.00 

 Interest and taxes, eight years... 40.00 



$75.00 



At eight years three- fourths the trees 

 should be removed, leaving permanent 

 trees 16x16 feet or 170 per acre. 



Each tree removed will supply two 

 first-class posts worth 10 cents each. 



Five hundred and ten trees removed 

 make 1,020 posts, worth $100, being or- 

 iginal cost with total expenses, leaving 

 the plantation fully paid, including 

 twenty years' interest and taxes. 



The remaining 170 trees will, by twen- 

 tieth year, produce 850 cross-ties worth, 

 at 60 cents, $510, or 250 feet lumber per 

 tree, 42,000 feet b. m., which, at $20 per 

 1,000, is $850. 



The value of the land having been 

 greatly improved, and a permanent in- 

 come assured from the continued 

 growths (as the trees are quickly re- 

 newed from the stumps)- equal to a cap- 

 ital investment of $1,000 at 8 per cent in- 

 terest. 



Cost will vary with location and man- 

 agement. 



