344 



ARBORICULTURE. 



HOW TO MAKE USE OF DENUDED 

 LANDS. 



Talk With John P. Brown Inspires. 

 Long Editorial in Leading South- 

 ern Paper. 



(Mobile, Ala., liegister.) 



Mr. John P. Brown, of Oonnel•s^d]le, 

 Ind., editor of the puhlication entitled 

 "Arboriculture,"' lias been visiting tliis 

 part of the South for some weeks and spent 

 a part of his time in Mobile. He left for 

 his home yesterdaj^ As editor of a maga- 

 zine devoted to the spread of knowledge of 

 ti-ee culture, Mr. Brown shows much in- 

 terest in the coast conditions as he finds 

 them. There are large tracts of cleared 

 and partially cleared land lin this part of 

 the country, and the question that sugge-its 

 itself is, what are Ave going to do with thi- 

 land? 



The idea, a vague one, is that some f mit 

 to come this land will be in demand for 

 farming puii3oses; that there will be an in- 

 liux of settlers from the West and from 

 Europe, and all the land now cut over and 

 of no value for its timber will be in use. 

 This expectation may be reaJized, biii no 

 one knows when; and in the meantime a 

 very considerable territory is not prodm- 

 tive of profit to any one. 



Mr. Brown contends that such land will 

 not soon be required for agricultural ]5nr- 

 poses; and that if it should be used for 

 such purposes there would be such increase 

 in products that prices would be lowered. 

 • 1'here is, however, he says, no prospect of 

 an oversupply of timber, and all such land 

 si ould be used at once for the cultivation 

 ■jf trees. Timljer is becoming more K-r.ixe 

 each year, and the fear is felt that a 

 famine will occur — a famine that is inevit- 

 able in tijne unless efforts are made to ^-e- 

 fctcre the forei^ts. 



The catalpa is the tree that is recom- 

 mended as best suited for growth in this 

 locality. It is a quick growing tree, reach- 

 ing a merchantable size in twenty years, 

 whereas the pine tree requires 120 years 

 and the cypress 600 years to attain ma- 

 turity'. The catalpa is described by Mr. 

 Brown as resembling in its structure the 

 butternut ; it has a dark color, is a gi-aiiLed 

 wood and possesses great strength. It c-^r 

 be used as building material, and also in 

 furniture work. Veneers from this wood 

 have a ver}^ attractive appearance. It 

 would profit tlie State to enooura.;-e the 

 cultivation of this tree, and all who en- 

 gage in such cultivation will reap a great 

 benefit. 



The railroads are realizing that tie sup- 

 ply of timber is blioii and likely to be 

 shorter as time goes .ui, and some of them 

 are providing for Ihi; future by cult'vating 

 trees. The Louisville & Nashville has an 

 experiment tract of 1,040 acres near Car- 

 ney Station with catalpa trees, one to four 

 years old, all growing well, and these trees 

 Avill be serviceable to the road when 

 grown, principally for use as crossties. IMr. 

 Brown has recently inspected this tree 

 farm and is much pleased wuth it. He 

 says tliat the land OAvners generally will do 

 well to follow the railroad's example and 

 plant at least a. portion of their land with 

 catalpa trees. They will find that land, 

 not otherwise valuable, Avill produce '"or 

 them a crop equal to that obtained from 

 the best farming land in the country'-— a 

 crop of trees, the product of which may 

 bring a very nruch greater price 'in the 

 market than is even dreamed of at the 

 Ijresent time. 



FAEM FOE SALE.— 35 acres, three 

 miles from Indianapolis; good locality for 

 fruit and truck garden. Apply to John P. 

 Brown, Connersville, Ind. 



