fjATAJ.PA. 



84 



CATCLAW. 



CATALFA (Catalpa speciosa), or liardy 

 (•;it;ili);i, is one ol' the lew trees profitable to 

 jri-ow lor liinilx'r alone in the central portions 

 (.!• ilic I'liiti'd States. It is a bee-keeper"s 

 tree, and for tliiit reason is mentioned here. 

 While not (piile eqnal to the black locust, 

 citlici- tor lioiK'y or Ibr its econoniit- viiliie as 

 :i tinil)er tree, it lias the merit of not being 

 allacked l)y borers, as the black locust usu- 

 iilly is, and it is now being grown to some 

 extent as an investment by farniers in the 

 Central States. It does not rank very high 

 :is a lioney-bearer, but where extensively 

 planted we shall doubtless hear of favorable 

 reports later on. 



There are other catalpas, but so far as 

 known none are valuable for timber-plant- 

 ing; and some farmers, neglecting the dif- 

 rcrcnce, have lost money by investing m the 

 olher species. 



The experts of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture are of opinion after 

 examining a number of catalpa plantations 

 ill Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri that 

 it will yield as large prolit as any ordinary 

 farm crop. The net profit is stated to be 

 from ipo.dO to $7.00 per year when properly 

 eared for. The greatest value of the timber 

 is for use as fence-posts, cross-ties, and tele- 

 graph-poles, the branches being used as 

 lirewood. It is not thought advisable to 

 wait till it reaches saw-log dimensions. It 

 requires good soil and is best grown from 

 seed. Where a bee-keeper wishes to im- 

 prove the honey-bearing flora of his locality 

 the better course would be to grow the 

 young trees for others to plant, selling them 

 at a nominal figure when planted within 

 reach of the bees in his own apiary. 



Trof . \V. J. Green, of the Ohio Experiment 

 Station, who has devoted considerable study 

 to the question of commercial culture of the 

 liardy catalpa, has this to say: 



Most seedsmen have been cai-eless leg-arding the 

 kiud of seed which tliey sold, hence the majority of 

 the ticcs wlilch have been gTOwn from these seeiis 

 are of tlie wrong kind, because the hardy catalpa 

 does not produce as much seed, and is more dltBcuIt 

 to i)roeure. It is impossible, when the trees are 

 small, to tell what they are. After they have at- 

 tained some age it is possible to distinguish the dif- 

 ferent kinds. They are easily distinguished by the 

 blossoms and seed. The station is now making con- 

 siderable elfort to introduce the true hardy catalpa, 

 and we have quite a number of trees wliich we ex- 

 pect to send out to different parts of the State for 

 the sake of experiment. We do not expect to sell 

 I he trees nor give them away, but we shall require 

 the party to conduct an experiment to pay for the 

 trees. 



The catalpa frequently, on good soil, makes an 

 increase in diameter of an inch a year. I saw tiees 



in C'reston a few days ago that were planted only 

 ten years ago, and one of them was more than a 

 foot in diameter. On ordinary soil they would not 

 grow as fa.st. There are some near Wooster that are 

 abi-ut twenty years old, not very much larger than 

 the one mentioned at Creston. We liave some on 

 the station ground that are ten to twelve feet high, 

 three years from id an ting. I know of a grove where 

 the trees are planted eight feet apart each way, and 

 at twenty years of age are worth on an average Sl.CO 

 per tree for posts and poles. I liope that you will 

 plant a grove of this tree, for it is surely very valu- 

 able, and I do not know of any species of tree that 

 will be likely to yield greater pioQt.— Gleanings in 

 Bee Culture, March 1,5, 1904. 



Those who intend to plant catalpa in the 

 I^Torth should take pains to get the true seed 

 of the hardy catalpa [Catalpa speciosa). The 

 Southern catalpa [Catalpa catalpa) will not 

 answer, neither will the Japanese [Catalpa 

 bignonoides). 



CATCLA\V [Acacia greggii) or mimosa. 

 This is (iitite an important honey plant or 

 tree, rather, in Texas. It yields immense 

 quantities of excellent honey that ranks 

 with the best white honey of the North. 

 While possibly it would not sell alongside of 

 our clovers, yet in localities where it is pro- 

 duced it is praised very highly for table use, 

 no honey being classed higher except that 

 from tie " guajilla," which see. 



The catclaw is a bushy tree with low- 

 spreading branches, attaining a height of 

 anywhere from 15 to 20 feet. It derives its 

 name from the bushy and fuzzy blossoms 

 suggestive of the furry coat of a cat, and the 

 peculiar kind of claws or hooks, shaped very 

 much like the claw of a common house eat. 

 If one tries to push tlirough the bushes or 

 among the branches he will conclude that, 

 unless he "backs up," he may "remain 

 hooked." Perhaps he will anyhow. 



The illustration on the following page 

 shows a small twig, life size. The leaves 

 are small and in clusters while the blossoms 

 have a cottony or downy look. One of the 

 seed-pods, after the blossoms have been cast 

 off, is shown at the upper left-hand corner 

 of the plate. 



The tree comes into bloom about the first 

 of May, and yields honey for a considerable 

 length of time before going out of bloom. 

 In July there is a second crop. 



Like the guajilla and mesquite it grows in 

 the semi-desert regions of Texas and Ari- 

 zona where it would be impossible to carry 

 on farming without irrigation. There are 

 vast areas in both States mentioned that 

 will probably never be used for any thing 

 more useful to man than catclaw, guajilla, 

 and mesquite ; so that the onward march of 



