43* PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



CATALPA SCRUBBIOSA. 



There are a great number of Catalpa trees in St. Louis, but after two 

 months' careful search I failed to find any Catalpa spcciosa. except a few quite 

 small specimens of young trees. 



At the Missouri Botanical Gardens, Mr. Shaw had planted several long 

 avenues with Catalpa bignonioides from the south, but most of these have been 

 destroyed during recent years, on account of their inferiority. 



Dr. Trelease has made some recent plantings of Catalpa spcciosa. but they are 

 yet quite small. 



A physician from Kansas who was attending the World's Fair, noticing 

 the number of these southern trees, and being asked what they were, re- 

 plied, "They are Catalpa scrubbiosa." This is a far more suitable name than 

 the ones given by early botanists. 



There is nothing descriptive or modifying by a repetition of the specific 

 name for one of a sub-variety, as Catalpa Catalpa. although Catalpa bignoiwides 

 would indicate that the flowers of this variety resemble those of the bignonia 

 or trumpet creeper. 



Catalpa scrubbiosa describes those innumerable mongrels of low strag- 

 gling habit, much branched, very short trunk, and productive of immense 

 quantities of seed, which are easily gathered. These trees have been distrib- 

 uted throughout the world through the carelessness of nurserymen and seeds- 

 men. 



The vast number of these scrub trees in the United States have caused 

 public opinion to be formed adverse to the Catalpa spcciosa and this has been 

 extremely difficult to overcome. 



As an illustration for one state While I was in California, four years 

 ago, on a visit to the California State University at Berkeley. I found on the 

 Campus two Catalpa trees as specimens -- one was spcciosa. but was labeled 

 bi^nouoidcs. the other was labeled spcciosa, but was plainly the sc'.ithern 

 variety. 



Many seeds or trees of this inferior scrubbiosa had been sent out to various 

 parts of the state, and supposed to be spcciosa. 



On the Insane Asylum grounds at Stockton were long avenues of scrubbiosa 

 which had been sent from the University. 



No wonder the people of California hesitate to recognize the merits of 

 this important tree which might be of immense value to the western coast region 



During the past winter, 1905-6, I have through several members of the 



