294 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



One variety of wood, a native of the United States, is in itself proof 

 against decay. In the fiber of the wood there is stored away those antiseptic 

 substances which makes it practically immune to the attacks of rot fungus. 



This is Catalpa speciosa, many articles of which have lasted through more 

 than a century. 



The earliest railways of southern Indiana, southern Illinois and south- 

 east Missouri, were constructed through or near the catalpa slashes or 

 swamps and whenever possible to secure this wood, which even through the 

 sixteenth century had gained a reputation for extreme durability, rt was used 

 for telegraph poles, bridge timbers and cross ties or sleepers. 



Engineers of that period were profuse in their admiration and praise of 

 the catalpa as a most enduring wood and well suited to those uses, but 

 through the changes of officials which have taken place, the identity and 

 location of most of those ties has been lost, yet enough remains to convince 

 reasonable men of the high character of catalpa for durability and adaptability 

 for ties and poles. 



The great abundance of white oak in the middle states up to a recent 

 period and the low price of ties, has prevented a careful study of this subject 

 except with a few earnest men. 



Mr. Barney, the senior, the veteran car builder of Dayton, Ohio, men- 

 tioned several ties and timbers which had been in use for very long periods, 

 while Dr. John A. Warder, Mr. Robert Douglas and others, a quarter of a 

 century ago, offered abundant evidence in this regard, all being enthusiastic 

 in praise of the catalpa for railways. 



There is no reasonable doubt that cross ties made of sound, seasoned 

 catalpa wood will last thirty-five years, or five times as long as oak, seven 

 times as long as red wood or pine. 



EVIDENCES OF THE DURABILITY OF CATALPA. 



The author has contended for many years that if a railway were using 

 cross ties they would require to !re renewed but twice in a century, that is, 

 that the durability of these ties would be thirty-five years. 



There has been an abundance of evidence of the lasting qualities of this 

 wood, given by engineers and railway officials during the past century, but 

 the proof now discovered and made public in this publication is of most 

 positive character and is indisputable. 



\Yhen trees may be grown in so short a time as sixteen years, which will 

 last in the track as cross ties twice the length of time required for the trees 

 to grow, it is worthy the attention of all railway officials and is of especial 

 interest to stockholders who furnish the money for expenses. 



In 1872, the old Air Line Railway began laying tracks through Edwards 

 County, Illinois. In the construction of this road large numbers of catalpa 

 cross ties were used, the timber secured in the swamps adjoining. Some old 

 citizens of the locality informed me several months since that some of the 

 ties still remained in the track and that they could find them. 



