142 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



catalpa trees cultivated in sod land were compelled by lack of moisture to 

 ripen their autumnal growth in early fall, and those trees are still in 

 existence and in good condition; but under cultivation and in shelter belts, 

 the Russian mulberry and catalpa almost invariably grow too late to be 

 prepared for winter and are usually unripe at the time of the first 

 autumnal freeze. 



The Black Locust — The extreme durability of the black locust when 

 used as a fence led to the tree being planted in central and western 

 Nebraska. We have in mind timber claims 350 miles from the Missouri 

 river that were planted near Bridgeport, in Morrill county, Nebraska. 

 These trees were planted on dry ground; fortunately perhaps, the sum- 

 mers and autumns were so dry that the trees were compelled to ripen 

 during their early years of growth. After the black locust has attained 

 considerable size and the growth is more widely distributed it is not 

 likely to grow as late in the fall as during the early years of planting. 

 These groves are still in excellent condition; they have furnished shade 

 in summer, and shelter in winter for the large bunches of cattle owned 

 by Mr. MacRadcliff. 



In other neighborhoods I have found that where under certain con- 

 ditions the black locust was planted and almost completely neglected, 

 lack of cultivation and weed growth compelled the tree to ripen and 

 thus prove its hardihood and adaptation to the district where they were 

 planted. On the abandoned homesteads of far western Nebraska on 

 dry knolls and ridges of thin soil and gravelly ridges, healthy trees of 

 the black locust have endured the extremes of Nebraska climate for 

 more than twenty years. The black locust is a tree that cannot with- 

 stand favorable conditions and prosperity; it is inclined to grow rapidly 

 and too late in the autumn. I have in mind one excellent grove, the 

 owner of which states that the grove was never cultivated, simply 

 allowed to compete with the weed growth. It should be stated, however, 

 in connection with this grove that there is in the underlying subsoil, 

 moisture at no great depth. Under such conditions the weed growth 

 prevented too rank and too late growth. We still regard the black 

 locust as a favorable tree for central and western Nebraska where 

 care is taken to compel the tree to ripen its wood not later than 

 September. 



The honey locust we have found in our trade and in our contract 

 work peculiarly suited to very arid and trying conditions. We have 

 found this tree standing sucessfully and holding its own in wheat 

 grass sod on the elevated table lands of Kimball county. I believe 

 from experience and observation that the honey locust can endure more 

 arid conditions than any other tree now sent out by nurserymen. In 

 eastern Nebraska on our own orchard farm we have planted some 

 miles of honey locust in single rows acting as a hedge and shelter belt 

 for the orchards and fields. At the age of thirty years we cut down a 

 considerable number of these trees and sold a number of carloads of 

 honey locust posts. The value of the honey locust for post timber is not 



