Current Literature and Reviews. 105 



and Prantl for order and names of families, the Berlin rule for 

 genera, and under the genus the priority rule for species ; all 

 common names which are in use in New England are given. The 

 Hand-book deserves no adverse criticism, the only addition that 

 can be suggested is that of a key to the species. 



The Hardy Catalpa. Bulletin No. 37, Bureau of Forestry. 



Pp. 58. PI. XXX. 



Considerable .skepticism has always existed about forest plant- 

 ing on the plains,— first, as to whether plantations would thrive ; 

 second, as to whether the)^ would prove financially successful. 

 The doubts of the skeptics were not allayed by the deplorable 

 failures under the various homestead acts. 



Man}' plantations in the Middle West have been very successful, 

 that the proportion of failures is large is not due to unfitness of 

 conditions but to poor choice of species. 



Mr. William I,. Hall, in " The Hardy Catalpa," describes four of 

 the largest and most successful of Western catalpa plantations. 

 The descriptions are in detail and comprehensive ; wood product 

 and financial tables for timber actually grown and sold are given, 

 and the methods of establishment and tending discussed. The 

 four plantations together comprised an area of over 1200 acres; 

 the crops were cut at ages varying from 12 to 21 years, the trees 

 then being large enough to yield from one to three 6-foot posts. 

 After deducting the costs of planting, of tending, of soil rent and 

 all other expenditures, the net return on these plantations aver- 

 aged from seven to fifteen dollars an acre per year. 



Of the catalpa Mr. Hall has the following to say : Of the trees 

 used for commercial planting none have been planted more exten- 

 sively in the region of southern Iowa and Nebraska and eastern 

 Kansas than the Hardy Catalpa. A few years' trial on the plains 

 sufficed to prove its good qualities for that region. It was easily 

 propagated, grew rapidly on prairie soil, had good form, was 

 drought resistant, had few insect or fungus enemies, and above 

 all was a lasting timber, adapted to many uses. As a post timber 

 it has given excellent satisfaction. It ranks with Black lyocust 

 and Osage Orange in durability, while it surpasses them in 

 rate of growth, form, and freedom from checking. Altogether, 

 as a post timber suitable for growing in a large section of 



