122 



THE CANADIAN nOKTTCULTURIST. 



ton and other places where the climate ! 

 is not more severe than in that city. '' 

 As a tree for timber plantations it is > 

 thought by many to be unrivalled, be- i 

 cause of its i-apid growth, its adapta- 

 tion to almost all soils and situations, 

 its wide range of hititude, and its extra- 

 ordinary success on the bleak prairies 

 of the North-west. 



It is also stated that it bears trans- 

 ])lantation unusually well, suffering 

 very little check therefrom, and very 

 rarely failing to grow; that it is pos- 

 sessed of great vitality, and is almost 

 wholly exempt fi-om the attacks of in- 

 sects and of diseases. The wood is 

 said to be more lasting than cedar 

 when used for posts, railroad ties, or 

 other purposes where it is exposed to 

 changes in moisture and temperature ; 

 and is also said to be capable of receiv- 

 ing- a high polish, and to have a beau- 

 tiful grain, which qualities make it a 

 desirable wood for tine inside finishing 

 of dwellings and for various articles of 

 furniture. The tfce is stated to have 

 a very handsome and stately appear- 

 ance, and in the early summer to yield 

 a profusion of large, showy, sweet- 

 scented flowers of unrivalled beauty, 

 thus making it a very desirable orna- 

 mental tree. 



If our readei-s will turn to the Re- 

 port of the Fruit Growers' Association 

 for 18S2, at page 207, they will there 

 find that Mr. Suel Foster, of Iowa, 

 states that a tree of this variety of the 

 Catalpa raised by him, and which had 

 been three times trans})lanted, was cut 

 down when twenty-two years old and 

 found to measure fourteen inches in 



diametei'. He had a writing desk 

 made from it which he mentions as 

 being very beautiful. Trees six years 

 from the seed measured six to nine 

 inches in diameter, and twenty to 

 twenty-eight feet in height. We also 

 commend to their attention the article 

 in the same report by the late Dr. 

 Warder, pages 2G4 and 26-5, from 

 which it will be seen that large plan- 

 tations of this Catalpa are being made 

 by railway coi'porations, because tlxe 

 timber of this tree is considered by 

 them to be worth three times as much 

 as the best white oak for ties. 



Of the suitableness of this tree for 

 ornamental planting our readers will 

 be able to form an opinion from the 

 colored plate which we have had pi"e- 

 pared expressly for this number. The 

 flowers are succeeded by long, pendent 

 seed pods, a sample of which is shewn 

 at the foot of the plate. 



If this variety of the Catalpa should 

 prove to be adapted to general cultiva- 

 tion in any considerable part of this 

 Province, the Directoi'S will have done 

 a work in calling attention to this 

 tree which should earn for them the 

 lasting gratitude of ev^ery citizen of 

 Ontario. As to the probability of our 

 being able to gi'ow it successfully, see 

 the letter of the Rev. L. H. Kirkley in 

 the Ai)ril number, page SO. 



CORRECTIOX. 

 dempsey's SKEDLIN'G gr.vpe. 

 The seedling grape referred to by 

 Mr. Pattison on page 114, May Num- 

 ber, is Mr. P. C. Dempsey's Seedling, 

 Number 5, not 25. This will explain 

 the disci'epancy. 



