April 1902.] The Hardy Catalpa. 115 



larger than by growing large trees ; however, I am experimenting with 

 about 100 acres in growing large timber. The greatest difficulty in 

 doing this will be to kill out one-half or three-fourths of the trees, in 

 order to give those remaining the field.'' 



In general, the time for cutting catalpa trees for whatever purpose 

 should be during the months of August or September, before the fall 

 of the leaves and after the summer wood is well ripened. This will 

 prevent the return to the trunk from the leaves of the soluble food 

 materials which furnish nutriment for soil bacteria and other fungi. 

 The wood should be well seasoned before sold. Timber cut during 

 the early growing season and used immediately shows no special re- 

 sistance* to decay. 



The cost of marketing is an important item, and this involves the 

 question of the proper location of a catalpa plantation. Manifestly it 

 should be near a railroad, or better, if possible, near several compet- 

 ing lines. Long hauls by wagon to the shipping station will materi- 

 ally cut down the profit, and should be avoided. If the plantation is 

 primarily for producing post timber, it is wise to locate in a stock- 

 raising district, since a ready local market for posts will always be 

 found there. The cost of marketing varies. Mr. Tincher gives the 

 cost of cutting, including the trimming of the remaining trees up to 

 six or eight feet, at fifty cents per 100 posts, the sorting and cording 

 of the posts not being included. Probably on a larger scale the ex- 

 pense would be less. Freight-cars will hold from 1800 to 2800 posts, 

 depending on their size, and the freight-rate in Kansas for a distance 

 of from thirty to sixty miles will average about one and one-half 

 cents per post. At the present time no quotations exist for catalpa 

 ties, poles or sawed lumber, because the timber is not on the market 

 in sufficient quantity anywhere to cause a market price to be set. 

 Posts six inches in diameter and seven feet long sell on an average 

 of from ten to twelve and one-half cents apiece. 



COST AND PROFIT OF CATALPA- GROWING. 



It is impossible to give data as to cost and profits in catalpa plant- 

 ing that will cover all cases, for the reason that in every plantation 

 different factors of expense and profit enter in. Value of land, rapid- 

 ity of growth of the trees, nearness to a shipping and marketing point, 

 price of labor, etc., vary with the locality. 



As good an example as any, and surely a reasonable one, is the 

 Yaggy plantation. Those interested will find a very thorough discus- 

 sion of the productive capacity and the profits of this plantation in 

 1900 in Bulletin 27 of the Division of Forestry, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, entitled, "Practical Tree-planting in Operation," by J. 



