86 



ARBORICULTURE 



Alabama Land for The Catalpa. 



The warm, s;u. ^' soil of Southern Ala- 

 bama, with a plniiful rainfall and almost 

 perpetual growing season, makes this an 

 attractive location for growing the Ca- 

 talpa speciosa. Along many of the 

 streams throughout the State are to be 

 found large numbers of the Catalpa hig- 

 nonioides, or Southern form of the Ca- 

 talpa, which indicates a soil and climatic 

 condition which is well suited to this fam- 

 ily of trees ; and while the Southern tree 

 is of smaller stature and of inconsiderable 

 importance, yet its presence assures us 

 that conditions are favorable for this pe- 

 culiar timber growth. 



So far as we have any knowledge, the 

 chemical elements which go to make up 

 one variety of Catalpa are identical with 

 those demanded by the other members of 

 the same family of trees. The color of 

 the wood is the same in both, the peculiar 

 odor of the foliage in each are similar, the 

 durability of the wood in each seems 

 equal, so far as I have observed. The 

 diflference being that one is a diminutive 

 shrub growth, while the other is of giant 

 stature. 



It is recognized that wherever the 

 Southern tree will thrive the Northern 

 will also succeed, although the one, being 

 thin-barked and tender to severe frosts, it 

 will not resist the cold of more northern 

 timber. 



In each locality of Alabama where 

 these forests are being planted there have 

 been removed quite recently yellow pine 

 trees of very large size. Soil which has 

 produced such pine timber will undoubt- 

 edly produce as good trees of other spe- 

 cies, provided they are adapted to the con- 

 ditions of climate similar to that required 

 by the pine. 



This, however, does not prevent the 



Southern tree from making its customary 

 gro^vth during the summer season in any 

 far Northern region, only this effect of 

 winter'' '"••ost which kills it back, the roots 

 surv ^ • Hi!(i ■^ending up fresh shoots in 

 spring. 



In tlie vicinity of Mobile. Alabama, 

 there are being made several large plan- 

 tations of Catalpa speciosa. The one in 

 Baldwin County, planted by Capt. J. A. 

 Carney last spring, has made excellent 

 progress and demonstrated the adaptabil- 

 ity of Alabama's rolling, sandy clay loam 

 lands for the cultivation of Catalpa speci- 

 osa. The trees which were planted here 

 in April have made strong, large roots 

 four feet in length in October, six 

 months' growing season. 



The several plantations being made bv 

 Mr. Wilber J. Andrews, of Chicago, who 

 owns twenty thousand acres in Mobile 

 County, much of which is to be planted 

 with Catalpa, as a commercial investment, 

 will undoubtedly prove a success not only 

 in growth of timber, but as a financial in- 

 vestment as well. 



Then, the tract of 1,040 acres pur- 

 chased by the Louisville and Nashville 

 Railway Company, and planted with Ca- 

 talpa speciosa trees for the production of 

 cross ties, has been mentioned before in 

 this journal. 



This land is slightly rolling. The soil 

 being of a reddish clay loam containing 

 much sand, while in places loose frag- 

 ments of sandstone having an admixture 

 of iron covers small areas on the hill tops. 

 Four hundred and fifty thousand trees 

 have already been planted upon this tract. 



A body of land on the Bay Shore Rail- 

 way is being planted by the M. & O. and 

 Southern Railways. This consists of 200 

 acres of land ; soil dark, sandy loam, pro- 



