PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 227 



circumference. Shrinking away from the surrounding wood a cavity is formed, 

 into which air and water find their way and carry the germs of decay. 



The catalpa must be hand pruned if one's bank account is to be benefited. 



The best instrument for this purpose is a three-inch sharp chisel upon the end 

 of a long pole. An upright thrust, or a slight blow with a mallet, removes the limb 

 close to the tree. This soon becomes calloused over and covered with new wood. 



No branch along the trunk should exceed two inches in diameter before re- 

 moval. 



On prairies and for large plantations it is well to insert extra trees between 

 the rows at intervals to break the force of the wind. Thus, four rows 

 around the outer belt and as may be necessary in the body of the forest, 

 probably each quarter mile. 



A tree grown in the streets of Connersville, Ind., was given the writer. 

 It was made into a desk. This was exhibited in the State House at Indian- 

 apolis for two months, being pronounced the handsomest desk in the state. 



It is now used in office of the author. 



The tree grew in twenty-five years, becoming twenty-two inches in diam- 

 eter and having 250 feet b. m. lumber. 



The late E. E. Barney, the veteran car builder of Dayton, Ohio, who was 

 one of the best judges of timber in America, took a very great interest in the 

 catalpa, having published an exhaustive pamphlet, which is now quite rare, 

 giving the results of his investigations, experiments and correspondence, upon 

 the subject. 



Many railway officials in early days experimented with catalpa trees, the 

 testimony of several being quoted in this booklet. Mr. Barney spent several 

 thousand dollars in painstaking research and demonstrated the value of this 

 wood to railway interests. 



The late Robert Douglas of Waukegan, 111., also expended a large sum 

 in similar investigations and was thoroughly imbued with the importance of 

 the catalpa to commerce. 



URGING UPON THE GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATIONS THE 

 PLAN OF EXTENSIVE PLANTATIONS OF CATALPA. 



The late Dr. John A. Warder made the subject one of deep study, advo- 

 cated the growing of this timber and planted many catalpa trees. 



Mr. H. H. Hunnewell, a wealthy gentleman of Wellesley, Mass., planted 

 a square mile of catalpa timber near Farlington, Kan., Robert Douglas & Son 

 contracting to furnish and plant the trees -- 2,000 per acre --or one and a 

 quarter million trees. The planting began in 1879, Mr. Hunnewell at that 

 time being 65 years of age. 



Unfortunately this experiment has been almost a failure on account of 

 entire want of attention. After twenty-seven years the trees are but little 

 larger than they were when six years old as Mr. Robert Douglas' report 

 shows, 2,000 trees per acre cannot develop. 



THE FARLINGTON KANSAS TRACT. 



At the same time the same parties planted another square mile for the 

 Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, of which corporation Mr. Hunne- 



