PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 273 



DISTRIBUTING MILLIONS OF SPURIOUS CATALPA SEED. 



Eighty thousand catalpa trees at DeLand, Florida, now four years old, 

 are spurious, while one hundred thousand in Louisiana are bignonoides. Yet 

 both lots were sold by reputable nurserymen for Catalpa speciosa. 



The same firms are still engaged in the nefarious business. 



We purchased seeds for examination this year of these nurserymen and 

 seedsmen all of which proved to be the southern catalpa, bignonoides. 



In part this fraud is practiced through ignorance, yet in some cases it 

 is known by the seedsmen that they are not selling speciosa. 



The persistence with which this concern sends out trashy catalpa seed, 

 which they acknowledge they have done for years, excusing themselves by 

 claiming that Mr. Douglas planted these trees, and that the seed of young 

 trees differs so greatly from that produced on older trees, is greatly to be 

 regretted. The characteristics of each variety of catalpa are so distinct, 

 both in tree and in the seed, there is absolutely no excuse for any great seed 

 house to make such a blunder and repeat it year after year. 



TOP SEED, KKMI'FKRII. MIDDLE, SPE- 

 CIOSA. BOTTOM, BIGNONIOIDES 



It is this unfortunate condition of the distribution of worthless seed, 

 which has been going on for so many years, wherein millions of Catalpa big- 

 nonoides, kcmpferii, and hybrids without character have been imposed upon 

 the people and caused so wrong an impression regarding Catalpa speciosa. 



The late Robert Douglas made the two great plantations now owned 

 by the Frisco Railway. That he was liable to be mistaken in making his 

 purchases is evident, since one forty-acre tract of these catalpas are of big- 

 nmi-oidcs, discovered to be such by himself after they had produced flowers 

 and seed. 



\Ye appeal to any reputable botanist if the seed of apples or fruit trees, 

 ash or other forest seeds, or as a rule vegetable and other seeds, are so very 

 different in the young and old trees as are the seeds sold by this seed house from 

 those of true Catalpa speciosa. 



We have engraved the seeds sent out by this firm, and they may be com- 

 pared with our cut, where one seed of kempfcrii, one of bignoitioides, and one 

 of speciosa are shown side by side. 



