PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 191 



Good, sound cypress timber is of great value on account of its durability, re- 

 sistance to decay, and for the ease with which it may be wrought. The wood is 

 soft, of straight grain, easily split into ties, and is capable of being dressed into 

 very good lumber. 



The wood is subject to a dry rot or decay after the trees have attained to their 

 maturity ; the great majority of logs now being cut are thus quite defective. 



One class of decay takes the form of longitudinal holes, not continuous, how- 

 ever, which give the wood an appearance of having been perforated by boring 

 \vorms, as is the case where the teredo has burrowed. 



This is simply one of nature's inflexible laws. All trees have a period of 

 growth, and after this is completed another period of repose, which may be called 

 its durability : then begins decay, and finally it disappears in dust, upon which 

 other successive vegetation feeds. 



Such old timber should be cut and used before too far decayed, as it can never 

 be of greater value than when maturity has been reached. 

 This rule is applicable to all classes of lumber trees. 



Of many train loads of cypress logs which I have examined, scarce one per- 

 fect log was found. Some were hollow, some rotted on one side, with some good 

 wood remaining, while all were seriously defective. 



And of the cross-ties examined, of which I examined many thousands, a large 

 majority were "pecked" with dry rot or in part decayed ; few were of perfect 

 soundness. 



The cypress is of extremely slow growth, and after the present supply shall 

 have become exhausted the tree will have ceased to exist as far as economic forests 

 are concerned. There are comparatively few young trees, and these will not ma- 

 ture for several centuries, while the young saplings are being cut for fence posts 

 where available. 



One cypress tree section which I examined at New Orleans showed the fol- 

 lowing record : 



Diameter of tree, fifty-four inches. 

 Age. six hundred years. 



At 1 8 years diameter was 4 l / 2 inches 

 At 50 years diameter was 7^/2 inches 

 At 100 years diameter was 13 inches 

 At 150 years diameter was K) l / 2 inches 

 At 200 years diameter was 25 inches 

 At 250 years diameter was 29 inches 

 At 300 years diameter was 33 inches 

 At 350 years diameter was 35 1 / 2 inches 

 At 400 years diameter was 40 inches 

 At 450 years diameter was 43^ inches 

 At 500 years diameter v/as 46J/ inches 

 At 550 years diameter was 5Oj/> inches 

 At 600 years diameter was 54 inches 



Average increase one inch in ten years. Another section gave thirty-two years 

 as the radial growth of one inch, requiring one hundred and ninety-two years to 

 reach one foot diameter. A four-foot tree was seven hundred and sixty-eight years 



