LOCUST 321 



the straightest and most vigorous stem is the only way to 

 control it, for close planting has its drawbacks. When 

 close-planted or shaded by dominant trees, it at once begins 

 to fail in vigor and show decay. 



It grows rapidly when young, and when in favorable 

 situations will make a yearly growth of three feet in height, 

 with an increase in diameter of one half to three fourths of 

 an inch. But even in the most acceptable locations this 

 rate cannot be depended upon for more than twenty or 

 twenty-five years at farthest. It generally begins to fall off 

 in rapidity of growth when fifteen or twenty years old, and 

 from that time on its annual rings gradually lessen in 

 thickness. As a rule, it cannot be relied upon to produce 

 a standard railroad tie under forty-five, and frequently 

 not under fifty, years of age. It is well adapted to growing 

 fence posts and will do that in twenty to thirty years. 



The wood is heavy, strong, hard, coarse-grained, stiff, 

 and extremely durable when in places where it is exposed 

 to the soil or where alternately wet and dry. The heart- 

 wood is generally a yellowish brown, but occasionally will 

 have a pale green tinge. The sapwood is yellowish white 

 and extremely thin, frequently consisting of but four or 

 five annual layers. The wood is principally used for fence 

 posts, and, where large enough, for railroad ties, in ship- 

 building, and also for mudsills and in places where great 

 durability is desired. Owing to the scarcity of trees large 

 enough for sawed lumber, brought about mainly by the 

 fact that the most valuable stage of its life is when it will 

 make fence posts and ties, there is but little manufac- 

 tured locust lumber offered in the market. 



It is one of the few valuable species of our forest trees 

 that will grow from sprouts without rapid deterioration of 

 its vitality. It throws up sprouts from adventitious buds 

 on its small surface roots, and hence these sprouts do not 

 suffer from decay of their roots, as they would if growing 

 from decaying stumps ; but if permitted, they will spring 

 up so as to produce dense thickets and be worthless. With 



