[92 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



of age. This is not encouraging to the planter of trees for the purpose of 

 lumbering. Still, some means should be devised to perpetuate this tree in southern 

 swamps. There is still considerable cypress remaining in these swamps, which, 

 on account of the difficulty of getting it out. will furnish a supply for several years, 

 but probably one or at most two decades will end the business. 



Preparation should be made to meet the emergency when it occurs, for the 

 years of both yellow pine and cypress are numbered, and the limit is but a brief 

 period away. 



It would be impracticable to re-establish the cypress in the dense swamps, 

 because of the extremely slow growth as well as the difficulty of transplanting the 

 trees in the water. And until in future years the swamps shall be drained and 

 reclaimed, this vast area of worse than worthless territory will continue to breed 

 mosquitoes and malaria, to the detriment of health and unproductive of any 

 adequate revenue. 



The attention of capitalists and engineers should be directed to this reclama- 

 tion of swamp lands which is by no means an impossible project or without the 

 merit of large profit. 



As a rule the timber growths of the swamp regions, except for the cypress, 

 ere of very slight value, although they could be greatly improved by destroying 

 those of lesser value and encouragement of a more important growth. This would 

 be a considerable expense, and could only be accomplished by large corporations, 

 and with State or government assistance. 



Where it is impractical to thoroughly drain the swamp regions, an improve- 

 ment may be effected by planting willows and other growths which emit roots 

 readily from cuttings, and many of these are of greater value than existing swamp 

 trees. 



Willows reduce the malarial gases and thereby improve health conditions. 

 They evaporate vast quantities of water through their leaves and absorb carbonic 

 acid gas from the atmosphere, thus drying up the moisture and purifying the air. 

 Some of the willows are valuable for a number of uses. Charcoal for powder is 

 best made from willow. Salicylic acid is a product of willow bark, and is very 

 largely used in pharmacy. Artificial limbs ate preferably made from willow, which 

 combines great strength with lightness. 



Catalpa also grows from cuttings. Fence posts set in spring, with bark on, 

 will quickly grow into trees, as every farmer in the catalpa slashes knows. 



Both these trees are capable of growth under swamp conditions, and either 

 would be an improvement over past occupants of the swamp regions of the South. 



The revenue of a State or community depends upon the income of its inhabit- 

 ants; plainly this will be a minimum so long as the swamp region remains as at 

 present ; but through their reclamation by drainage or the planting of a better class 

 of trees and forest growths both the State and its inhabitants will be benefited, the 

 people by having additional labor in manufactures. So that as an economic 

 proposition a State can afford to give encouragement to all such enterprises as 

 give promise of relief. 



The method of logging the cypress is by means of steam skidders, as with 

 other timber trees ; a drum carries a wire rope of perhaps a quarter of a mile 

 length : one end of this cable is drawn into the swamp and there attached to a log, 



