THE CATALPAS 345 



has been no mistake in some instances where practical fail- 

 ure has resulted. Many efforts have been made to grow the 

 speciosa where climatic conditions were unsuited to it, as 

 it cannot endure a low temperature in the winter, and it 

 also appears to be exacting as to soil and moisture. Even 

 where not killed outright by a low temperature, it will 

 frequently crack open from expansion of the moisture in the 

 wood by freezing. In many places, no doubt, the soil was 

 too poor and dry. It frequently persists in growing crooked, 

 and unless young trees are cut close to the ground when 

 well established, causing a new shoot to spring up, it is 

 very difficult to secure a straight stem. The reason of this 

 persistency to grow crooked may be readily seen upon ex- 

 amination of the ends of the stem and twigs, after the 

 winter buds are formed, where it will be found that there 

 is seldom a terminal bud to be seen ; but instead there are 

 several gathered around the point where the central or ter- 

 minal bud should be, and when they start to grow there is 

 a contest for supremacy and a forked or crooked stem or 

 branch is the result. If a central terminal bud has been 

 formed, and it outgrows its close neighbors, there will then 

 be a straight stem ; otherwise a crook or fork follows. Un- 

 fortunately the central bud, if it exists, is not always the 

 successful one. Professor C. S. Sargent 1 speaks of the 

 Catalpa as " without terminal buds." 



The wood is soft, coarse-grained, light, not strong, but 

 very durable in contact with the soil. The heartwood is 

 light brown, with nearly white sapwood composed of few 

 layers, sometimes not more than three. It is used for fence 

 posts, telegraph and other like poles, for railroad ties, and 

 for any purpose where exemption from decay is demanded. 

 It is doubtful if any wood is superior to it, if equal, in re- 

 sisting decay when exposed to the ground. It is also used 

 to a slight extent for interior finish and furniture, but only 

 because better lumber is more expensive. 



There is no difficulty in propagation. The tree bears 



1 Trees of North America, page 792. 



