

ACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 281 



Pine lumber of better grades is almost exhausted, and so with oak and 

 other woods, something must be provided to take their place. 



The landowners who are wise will devote a portion of their farms to the 

 growing of fence posts, cross ties and other forms of timber. 



We append a table, carefully prepared after a third of a century's obser- 

 vations and measurements, showing the annual rate of growth of our prin- 

 cipal trees, and also estimates of growths which may be obtained in a series 

 of years for each acre planted and properly cared for. This data will enable 

 you to determine the probable results in a given number of years. 



A majority of trees will have room to develop if planted 14x14 feet or 

 220 to the acre. 



The Catalpa spcciosa increases one inch in thickness each year if reason- 

 ably cared for ; thus by the end of twenty-five years the trees become 24 

 inches in diameter, with a uniform taper to the top. 



Such a tree will contain 150 feet b. m. lumber, 25,000 feet to the acre, 

 and bring, at prices which will prevail twenty-five years hence, $60 per 

 thousand, or $1,500 per acre, net, while the cost of planting and caring for them 

 will be inconsiderable. 



If such trees are sawed into cross ties, they will produce 1,700 ties, and 

 will bring one dollar each on account of durability. 



In the vicinity of mining operations, where mine timbers are constantly 

 in demand, the income will begin in eight or ten years, each tree making 

 probably two lengths, or 1,360 timbers per acre. 



Some railway companies are planting Catalpa timber on a large scale 

 upon their lands, under which lie vast beds of coal. It is now difficult to 

 procure a sufficient number of mine timbers to support the roof of the 

 mines. These trees will, in eight years, make better props and ties than the 

 wood now being used, while transportation from long distances will be 

 avoided. Eight hundred and eighty-six trees, making 1,172 props and ties 

 for the mines, grow upon each acre in eight years ; the wood being so much 

 more durable than what is ordinarily used, will, of course, be of greater value. 



If a railway company can do this, what opportunity does it offer to the 

 farmer to supply such wood for the mines? 



DEMANDS OF RAILWAYS. 



There are in the United States now, 250,000 miles of steam railways and 

 50,000 miles of electric roads, the mileage increasing daily. It takes 3,000 

 cr =s ties and thirty telegraph poles for each mile of track; ties must be 

 renewed once in five to seven years, poles once in ten or twelve years. The 

 telegraph and telephone lines have in use 5,000,000 poles. Thus three thou- 

 sand millions of cross-ties and thirty millions of poles will be required during 

 the twenty-five years before us. In addition to this, three hundred and fifty 

 millions of fence posts will be required to fence these roads in. 



It will be seen that a vast area of land must be planted and maintained 

 in timber to provide for these three items cross-ties, poles and fence posts. 



