TIMBER GROWING FOR PROFIT. 371 



I set one thousand soft-maple trees in nursery rows, planting 

 them one foot apart in the row, the plot comprising about one- 

 tenth of an acre. Nine years later I cut a half cord of wood 

 from eighteen of these trees, occupying one row fifty feet long, 

 the rows having been thinned by digging shade trees. I do not 

 consider these growths remarkable, and think it would be easy 

 to find timber plots that have done better. 



Locust Growing. In all localities where it will flourish 

 and it adapts itself to a great variety of soils and a wide 

 range of climate it is doubtful if any tree can compare with 

 the locust for profit. The valuable variety is known both as 

 the black and yellow locust, and both names are given to it in 

 the catalogues. The botanical name is Robinia pseudacacia. It 

 has short thorns, quite sharp and plenty on the young trees, 

 but they become few and blunt as the tree gets older. (This 

 should not be confounded with the honey locust, which has long 

 sharp thorns, and is of but little value for timber.) It is ex- 

 tremely hardy, can be grown easily from seed, bears transplant- 

 ing well, makes a very rapid growth, and is surpassed by few 

 if any varieties of timber for durability. I have seen posts of 

 this timber still in a good state of preservation that had been in 

 use for thirty-five years. Another thing which adds to its value 

 is that it has but little sap-wood, and the trees may be cut as 

 soon as their diameter is sufficient for a post, and will be nearly 

 or quite as durable as older timber. A plantation once started 

 is for life, for when cut off, it at once renews itself, and the 

 second crop will be large enough for posts in about three years 

 less time than the first grew. 



I have watched the growth of locust timber grown from 

 the seed, for more than thirty years, and have seen the same 

 plot cut and marketed twice in that time, and for five years I 

 have been planting an average of about one thousand trees a 

 year, so it will be seen that I speak from experience in the mat- 

 ter. The first locust plantation that I ever saw planted was 

 in the spring of 1850. The seed was dropped in hills four 

 feet apart each way, where it was to grow. I would never 

 recommend this plan, as some hills will be crowded and others 



