ARBORICULTURE. 



289 



CATALPA SPECIOSA. 



By W. G. M. Stone, 



President of the Colorado Forestry Association, 

 in TIic Scicntiiic Farmer, February, 1907. 



Whatever is done in Colorado in the way of 

 tree-planting for use or profit, the hardy catalpa 

 (Catalpa spcciosa) is lilcely to play an impor- 

 tant part. The black locust will probably lead, 

 at least for the present. It is safe to recom- 

 mend it, but it is not safe to recommend ca- 

 talpa. unless one knows where and of whom to 

 buy. Black locust is always ojie and the same 

 thing. If one orders that, he gets that. There 

 are no spurious species. 



Not so of catalpa. A very large proportion 

 of the orders sent to nurserymen for Catalpa 

 speciosa are filled with something else. This is 

 a bold and harsh accusation to make unless one 

 has proof of its truth. With the writer it is 

 neither guess-work nor hearsay, but an expe- 

 rience of fact, for which the reader is referred 

 to the October numl)er of this magazine, page 

 27. Now, why is this so? Why is it difficult 

 to secure pure speciosa ? Some say it is not 

 difficult, but the writer finds it is. Let me cite 

 a case, deeply to my regret : A Philadelphia 

 seedhouse said to me they found no difficulty 

 in obtaining speciosa, and yet when my order 

 to them for speciosa was filled they sent to me 

 the very seed from which this cut was made. 



There are various species of catalpa. Besides 

 speciosa there are bignonioides, k?empferi, and 

 various hybrids, all of which hybridize one with 

 another, as it is said by experts. For any eco- 

 nomic purpose not one of these is worth a fig 

 except speciosa, which, from present indica- 

 toins, if I mistake not, promises more for 

 American sylviculture, on the farm, than any 

 other tree ; provided it can have an opportunity. 



Those who attended the World's Fair at St. 

 Louis and visited the catalpa exhibit in the 

 temple of forestry will remember the telegraph 

 poles and railway ties that had been in use 

 more than thirty years, and fence rails that 

 were over eighty years old. They will also re- 

 call the chairs and office furniture made from 

 hardy catalpa ; nor can they have forgotten the 

 staircase, and the section of a palace car, to say 

 nothing of many other articles, both ornamental 

 and useful, that were manufactured of this tim- 

 ber. They will doubtless remember the color, 

 the grain, the polish, the tints and tones as ex- 



quisite. The furniture and the section of the 

 palace car were fit for a king. 



Now, to think of a wood so well adapted to 

 fine cabinet work, and also, in railway service, 

 capable of lying in the ground for more than 

 thirty years without decay, bearing the stress 

 and strain, the wear and tear of heavy traffic 

 for the third of a century, must lead to the 

 conclusion that the Catalpa speciosa is a tree of 

 wonderful promise. It will last longer in the 

 soil, endure more hard service, make up into 

 more things for use, and cover a wider range 

 of human wants, both indoors and out, than 

 any other tree of my knowledge. 



Its rapid growth, its fine color, its great lon- 

 gevity, its wide range of usefulness, mark it as 

 the most promising tree in America for the 

 tre^-planting era which is at the door. 



IT FIGHTS FOR EXISTENCE. 



I refeato these remarkable and valuable char- 

 acteristics in order to emphasize the deplorable 

 fact that it is beset with so many obstacles and 

 dangers — such as no other tree has to contend 

 with. Between it and the tree-planter stands 

 an almost irresistible phalanx of other species 

 and varieties disputing its passage. These in- 

 ferior trees reach the planter, no matter what 

 he orders. Now, why is this ? 



Tlte answer is simple, Init complex. There 

 are four cardinal reasons : Nature, ignorance, 

 cupidity, and trade conditions. Nature is sel- 

 dom inharmonious, but here she seems against 

 her own interests. The speciosa variety is 

 scarcer than the bignonioides. The latter has a 

 much stronger footing. Again, the speciosa is 

 a shy bearer — a very shy bearer. The other 

 bears profusely. If the reader will go to the 

 southwest corner of Colfax Avenue and Emer- 

 son Street, in the city of Denver, he can see 

 the truth of this statement. On the Emerson 

 Street side he will note two catalpas, about a 

 dozen feet apart. The one nearer Colfax is a 

 bignonioides and (December 25) hangs full of 

 pods ; the other, a speciosa, contains compar- 

 atively few. This is the invariable habit of 

 these two trees. 



Then, too, the speciosa is a taller tree and 

 the few pods it bears are more difficult to reach, 

 and besides it often fails to fruit, or so nearly 

 so that but few seeds can be secured. Yes, na- 

 ture is against the speciosa. It is an unequal 

 race, and one can readily see where the profes- 

 sional seed-picker would look for his harvest. 



The next thing to observe is ignorance. 



