35 



the close of the war with the South, a mere moment in the future of 

 your country. 



I have, sir, here. endeavored to give you some idea of the slate and ex- 

 tent of your timber resources, and the ruinous consequences sure to fol- 

 low and he felt throughout the length and breadth of your entire country 

 when a failure in the supply which a few short years will bring about is 

 reached. ;md nm, sir. Respectfully Yours, 



JAMES IJTTLK. 



I do not think Mr. Little at all overestimates the annual 

 consumption of lumber or the rapidity with which our country 

 is being denuded of its forests, or the impending calamity 

 resulting therefrom, if no means are taken to avert it. The 

 annual consumption of my own manufactory is over 10,000,000 

 feet, and it is but one, and by no means the largest of the 

 175,000 referred to by him, over our whole country, as consum- 

 ing our forests all the day long and all the year round, that 

 have been the growth of the last 100 to 500 years. 



One means of averting this calamity is the extensive yearly 

 planting of well selected forest trees. 1 have urged the culti- 

 vation of eatalpa, believing it will give the largest return in 

 the shortest time. Its economic uses are more varied and 

 extensive than any one tree with which I am acquainted. 



Ff I had a grove of common catalpa that would not be affect* >d 

 by the frost, I should certainly let them grow. If I wished to 

 plant a grove of catalpa, above or below the frost line, I would 

 most certainly plant only the Speciosa variety, as clearly 

 better adapted to forest culture. 



1 by no means ignore the fact that there are other valuable 

 trees for forest culture notably the white walnut or butternut, 

 black walnut, yellow locust, red and black mulberry, Osage 

 orange, ailanthus, cherry, ash, oak, and many others, of the 

 respective merits of which I leave others to speak. 



At the time I printed my first pamphlet I was under the 

 impression that the examples of durability given were mostly, 

 if not wholly, common catalpa. As it became more and more 

 apparent, on further investigation, that the Speciosa variety 

 was much preferable lor forest planting, I felt it to be of the 

 greatest importance to know, beyond any question, that this 

 variety was equally durable. 



I therefore arranged with Mr. .Jno. ('. Teas, of Carthage. Mo., 

 a horticulturist who had been familiar with the common and 

 Speciosa variety for thirty years, to visit those localities in 

 the West where the catalpa was known to be indiginous, and 

 make a thorough investigation as to the durability of the 

 Speciosa and all other matters of interest pertaining thereto, 

 lie obtained much valuable information; the full report of 

 which, sickness, 1 regret to say, has prevented his preparing 

 in time for this pamphlet. His letters establish beyond any 



