228 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



well was a director. It was treated in same manner, and also planted 4x4 feet. 

 The St. Louis & San Francisco Railway is now possessor of the property. Dur- 

 ing 1904 the entire tract was cleared, making the trees into fence posts. Mr. 

 H. P. Jacques, the purchasing agent, informed me that he had sold one hun- 

 dred thousand dollars worth of posts from the tract. 



L'ndoubtedly as a fence post proposition it was a success, financially. Yet 

 it should have produced half a million dollars in cross-ties and lumber had it 

 received rational treatment. 



In a state of nature, where time is no object, a thousand years as but a 

 day, a long struggle takes place between the stronger and weaker trees, both 

 robbing the others ; eventually a sufficient number succeed by destroying the 

 remainder. 



Where dollars are the object and time of great importance, as in an arti- 

 ficial forest, these surplus trees should be destroyed after the object of close 

 planting has been attained, namely, an upright trunk free from side branches 

 to a great height. Otherwise the moisture and nutriment required by the 

 permanent trees will be divided and none receive enough. From a report 

 made by Mr. Douglas in 1885 many of the trees, six years old, measured 18 

 inches girth. While from sheer neglect and overcrowding there has been a 

 serious loss in subsequent years. 



I have personally measured a large number of catalpa trees in Kansas, 

 Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, District of Columbia 

 Utah, California and Indiana, taking trees of known age, and they have aver- 

 aged one inch diameter increase for each year after planting. 



The Pennsylvania Railroad Company planted on its line between Richmond 

 and Indianapolis a large number of catalpa trees, part of which were speciosa 

 and others, bignonoides, or southern form. These were allowed to grow at 

 random in a blue grass sod. They have been cut back often to prevent inter- 

 ference with telegraph wires, and a majority are worthless, from neglect. Yet 

 I measured several that were 48 inches girth after 16 years growth. 



If these trees could be cut .down, allowing one shoot to grow from the 

 stump, they would in five years produce valuable, straight, thrifty trees of 

 which the company would be proud. 



One tree in Manifee County, Ky., planted in 1840, has a spread of 80 feet 

 diameter, the trunk being 15 feet circumference. The lady who planted this 

 tree is still living nearby. 



A writer speaking of the value of catalpa ties and lumber, says : "Not- 

 withstanding it makes a durable tie, the wood is entirely too valuable for that 

 purpose, as the lumber 40 feet b. m. in a tie, is worth $2.00 to $3.00. In fact 

 there is no lumber grown in the United States that is more valuable. It 

 takes a finish equal to San Domingo mahogany." 



Several catalpa cross-ties were placed in the C. C. C. & St. L., Cairo 

 division, in 1879, one of which was taken out last summer (1899), having been 

 in constant use for twenty years. 



Mr. J. W. Cowper, engineer maintenance of way, officially reports of this 

 tie as follows : "This catalpa tie, taken, out of the track three miles north 



