great strength is required. The tree is also valuable for fuel, being 

 about equal to bur and white oak for this purpose. 



The most common use of locust is for fence posts, for which pur- 

 pose it has been extensively grown. Because of the large proportion 

 of heartwood the young wood is almost as durable in the soil as the 

 old. Locust posts, under average conditions, will last from fifteen 

 to twenty-five years. 



METHODS OF PROPAGATION. 



Locust reproduces itself abundantly by seeds and by stump and 

 root sprouts. It extends itself rapidly over old fields and along 

 fence rows. Frequently burned and cut-over lands in the mountains 

 of Pennsylvania and West Virginia are thickly covered with locust 

 seedlings, that give rise to valuable pure stands. The seed is retained 

 on the trees well into the winter and is carried long distances by 

 the strong winter winds. Wherever locust has been planted outside 

 of its natural range the same tendency to spread by seed and root 

 sprouts is exhibited, and young stands killed by fire replace them- 

 selves at once by sprouts. 



The use of 1 -year-old seedlings, however, is recommended in estab- 

 lishing plantations of black locust. If a large number of seedlings 

 are required, the planter should grow them himself, since home- 

 grown trees can be produced cheaply and are available for planting 

 when conditions are most favorable. 



The seed may be gathered locally by the planter or may be pur- 

 chased from dealers. It may be left in the pods and stored in a cool, 

 dry place for as long as two years without serious harm. If the 

 seeds are removed from the pods, they should be stratified in moist 

 sand in a cool place. Just before sowing in the nursery, the seeds 

 should be soaked for eight to twelve hours in water that has been 

 heated to a temperature of not more than 160 F. Planting should 

 immediately follow the soaking of the seeds, and under no con- 

 sideration should they be allowed to dry out. Under these condi- 

 tions usually between 50 and 75 per cent of the seeds germinate. 



Spring planting of seeds in the nursery is in general advisable, 

 although the seed can be sown as soon as it matures. The soil of 

 the nursery should be well pulverized, rich, and loamy. If hand 

 cultivation is to be given, the drills may be 12 to 15 inches apart; 

 but for horse cultivation rows 2 to 3J feet apart will be more con- 

 venient. The seed should not be covered to a depth greater than one- 

 half inch, and the soil should be kept uniformly moist during ger- 

 mination. A pound contains about 29,000 seeds and is sufficient for 

 a row 900 feet long. The seedlings will be large enough to set out 



[CiR. 64] 



