f 



PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 319 



When once the trees become established and have secured a season's growth, 

 the overflowing would not be detrimental. The growth would be extremely rank, 

 almost continuous, and timber formed with greater rapidity than elsewhere. 



In the Catalpa slashes of the Wabash the water frequently overflows to depth 

 of several feet. 



Thus the environments of the California swamp lands are similar to those 

 existing where the Catalpa is indigenous, while climatic conditions are far more 

 favorable. 



Levees for this purpose need not be so substantial as would be required for 

 annual crops, simply enough to keep back the water until the trees have grown 

 one season. 



In ten or twelve years, under these conditions, Catalpa will make sawing tim- 

 ber, telegraph poles and railway cross-ties to a greater profit than attends any an- 

 nual crops. 



When established, a plantation becomes permanent, producing a succession 

 of crops every ten years, being renewed from the stump when the trees are cut. 

 On the Wabash the farmers dig out the roots when they wish to destroy the trees, 

 so persistent are they in renewals. 



Each acre of such lands as are now covered with Tules, should produce 34,- 

 ooo feet of lumber, worth $2,000 in a dozen years, the land improving in value all 

 the while. 



Owners of swamp lands who have hesitated at the expense of reclamation, 

 should carefully consider the possibilities of what may be accomplished with this 

 extremely valuable timber. 



Wood of such character is not found upon the Pacific Coast, and will always 

 be in demand at remunerative prices. 



A few thousand trees have been sent to Stockton by the Santa Fe Railway to 

 be planted in the tule lands between the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers as an 

 experiment, and within another year or two it will be practically determined 

 whether or not the Catalpa will thrive in these marshy locations. The trees were 

 contributed by the International Society of Arboriculture for the experiment as 

 has been done in many cases in other localities. Altogether almost a million Ca- 

 talpa spcciosa trees have been thus contributed for such trials by the society. 



