212 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



A great lack of humus and the consequent poverty of the soil has resulted 

 from the very bad practice of burning the annual grasses, pine leaves and other 

 plants to enable stock to obtain fresh grass in springtime. The result is the al- 

 most universal destruction of farm possibilities and the loss of millions of dollars 

 to the State. Even the constant application of commercial fertilizers does not 

 enable the soil to produce such crops as would be secured had this practice not 

 been pursued. 



THE CUT OVER LANDS. 



The sandy lands of Florida and other Southern States, much of which has 

 heretofore been held in little esteem, may become most valuable and remunera- 

 tive by planting with trees suited to the locality, for the production of high-grade 

 lumber. 



The pine, while supplying naval stores from its sap for a few years, is, as a 

 rule, of low commercial value, comparatively, it being limited to the lower grades 

 of lumber. When used for cross-ties it is of short duration, not exceeding five 

 years in track. 



The Catalpa, on the contrary, possesses the quality of great durability, ties 

 having remained in constant use in railway track for thirty-two years, while for 

 fence posts the wood has lasted eighty years. 



Besides, lumber made from Catalpa is capable of receiving a remarkably fine 

 finish, being useful for furniture, inside finish for residences and offices. Every 

 portion of a freight or passenger car, for which wood is used, may be constructed 

 of Catalpa lumber. 



The value, therefore, is of the highest, rating with the high-grade finishing 

 woods. 



OCEAN PILING 



will demand on all Gulf ports, vast numbers of tall, straight trees which have 

 great durability, as suitable timber for this purpose is becoming very scarce in the 

 United States. The Catalpa speciosa is well suited for such timbers, and in the 

 Gulf region trees may be grown in from twelve to fifteen years to supply this 

 want. 



It is not certainly known how well the Catalpa will resist the destructive 

 work of the teredo which is very abundant in southern waters, but as a logical 

 deduction, the chemical substances present in all Catalpa wood, leaves and sap. 

 making it obnoxious to all insect life, it is believed will be efficacious in preventing 

 these worms from entering the wood. So far as is known there is but one insect 

 which attacks the Catalpa, this being the Catalpa Sphinx, a very large caterpillar, 

 similar to the worm which devours the tobacco leaf. 



This fact is highly important, since in all forest and fruit trees, throughout 

 the world, there are innumerable insect enemies : in some trees more than a hun- 

 dred injurious insects infest the foliage, wood and roots of the trees. Experi- 

 ments are now being made at Pensacola, to determine the resistance of Catalpi 

 wood to the attack of the teredo, and within a year this fact will have been deter- 

 mined. Should the wood be exempt, as it is hoped that it may be. the immense 



