272 



ARBORICULTURE. 



large quantities, or larger, than in the 

 slower growths. 



(4) Lands suitable for forest planta- 

 tions in the Middle States are held at 

 from $60 to $150 per acre, while those 

 in more southern States are purchasable 

 at from $3 to $10 per acre. 



(5) The weight of Catalpa lumber, 

 seasoned, is 2^ pounds per foot, B.M. 



(6) Weight, average cross-tie, 115 

 pounds. 



(7) Interest on investment, 1,000 

 acres, costing $100, per annum, $4,000; 

 eight years,- $32,000 ; total cost, land and 

 interest, 8 years, $132,000. 



(8) Interest on 1,000 acres, costing 

 $10, $400 ; eight years. $3,200 ; total cost 

 and interest, $13,200. 



(9) Difference in favor of Southern 

 land, $118,800. 



(10) Estimate of preparation of land, 

 planting, etc. : 



Plowing 1,000 acres, $2.50 per acre 

 $2,500. 



Purchase of trees, 900,000, at $10, 

 $9,000. 



Planting, $1.50 per 1,000. $1,350. 



Cultivating, two years, $3,000, 



Pruning and care, $2,000. 



Superintendent, two years, $1,500. 



Total, $19,350. 



Total cost, less than $20,000. 



INCOME THE EIGHTH YEAR. 



From trees removed in thinning plan- 

 tation, 1,320,000 mine timbers, at 5 cents 

 net, $66,000. Estimating two props, 6 

 feet long, to each tree. Permanent for- 

 est remaining, 222,000 trees. 



INCOME THE TWEIvFTH YEAR. 



Three cross-ties per tree, 666,000 ties, 

 value estimate at 40 cents on the 

 ground, $266,400. 



CITATION. 



A Catalpa speciosa tree at Jackson- 



ville, Fla., 9 years old, is 18 inches diam- 

 eter at six feet from the ground. 



Catalpa speciosa in New Orleans, age, 

 17 years; 26 inches diam. ; length of 

 trunk, 20 feet, equal to four ties first 

 cut, four ties second cut, two ties top ; 

 10 ties in seventeen years. 



Trees, Pensacola, Fla. ; age, 5 years ; 

 6 inches diam. ; height, 24 feet. Other 

 actual growths could be referred to. 



TIMBER REPRODUCTION. 



Upon cutting the first crop of trees 

 in twelve years, another springs up from 

 the stump, and having all the root sys- 

 tem established, pushes forward with 

 great rapidity. 



It is safe to estimate that a crop may 

 be obtained every twelve years, and fully 

 as many ties can be anticipated at the 

 end of the second, and again of the third 

 and succeeding periods of twelve years. 



Requirements of a railway system, 

 with mileage of 8,000, with additions 

 probably 9,000 miles : 



Ties in use, 24,300,000. 



Annual renewals, 4,000,000. 



Annual cost, $3,000,000. 



What can be done with a million dol- 

 lars, which is one-third the cost of one 

 year's tie renewals : 



This sum will purchase 30,000 acres 

 of land, plant and care for it, pay inter- 

 est, taxes, and all expenses for eight 

 years. 



This is approximately 47 square miles. 

 There are many tracts of cut-over land 

 in the South oi larger dimensions which 

 can be purchased. 



In eight years enough fence posts and 

 mine timbers can be grown to load 20,- 

 000 railway cars, with a value of $1,- 

 980,000. 



The Frisco Railway sold $100,000 

 worth of fence posts as a result of one 

 cutting on 640 acres of land. 



