April 1902.] The Hardy Catalpa. 125 



International Society for Arboriculture, says, in bulletin 1 of the so- 

 ciety (1901), entitled "The Catalpa speciosa," page 7 : 



"Several catalpa cross-ties were placed in the C. C. C. & St. L. railroad, 

 Cairo division, in 1879, one of which was taken out last summer (1899), having 

 been in constant use for twenty years. Mr. J. W. Cowper, engineer mainte- 

 nance of way, officially reports of this tie as follows: 'This catalpa tie, taken 

 out of the track three miles north of Harrisburg, was put in in 1878, in mud bal- 

 last. The wood is perfectly solid, showing very little sign of decay. 

 With tie-plates and good ballast, those ties would, I think, without doubt, last 

 fully thirty to thirty-five years.' " 



In order to elicit further information relative to the more recent use 

 of the catalpa for ties, letters of inquiry were sent to the chief engi- 

 neers of 139 lines of railways in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

 Answers have been received from 108, of whom ninety-five report no 

 knowledge of or experience with catalpa ties. Many of these letters, 

 however, express interest in the matter and manifest a desire for in- 

 formation. 



A number, bearing more or less directly upon the investigation, are 

 quoted in whole or in part. The italics are inserted. 



ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY, 



CHICAGO, February 6, 1902. 



In reply to your letter of January 29, will state that while it would give me 

 pleasure to give you any information in my power concerning the practical re- 

 sults obtained in the use of catalpa cross-ties I am unable to do so, as there are 

 no records of any having been used by this company. I will state, however, 

 that this company is taking a great deal of interest in the cultivation of Ca- 

 talpa speciosa, and arrangements are just being made for putting in a 

 plantation of 160 acres, with a view of experimenting with the same. 



Yours very truly, W. L. HARAHAN, Chief Engineer. 



THE DULUTH & IRON RANGE RAILROAD COMPANY, 



DULUTH, MINN., February 3, 1902. 



I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 30, requesting in- 

 formation about my experience with catalpa railroad-ties. I regret to say that it 

 has never been my good fortune to come in contact with catalpa ties, as, with the 

 exception of two years spent in western Indiana, I have been pioneering in the 

 Northwest since 1871. I am aware that, especially in the Southwestern states 

 and territories, catalpa has been used quite extensively for ties, with very satis- 

 factory results, so much so that some of the roads have gone to the expense of 

 starting nurseries for producing their own tie timber in the future. I hope the 

 culture of this tree may prove a success, because lean see the time approach- 

 ing very fast when our supply of native cedar, tamarack and pine will be 

 exhausted, just the same as happened with the oak, and ultimately the choice 

 will be a wooden tie carried a long distance, possibly clear across the North 

 American continent, at great expense, and the metallic tie. Thanking you 

 for the courtesy, I am, very truly yours, R. ANGST, Chief Engineer. 



