126 Botanical Department. [Bulletin 108 



ST. Louis & SAN FRANCISCO RAILROAD COMPANY, 



ST. Louis, Mo., February 14, 1902. 



Answering yours of 8th inst. in reference to catalpa as an economic tree, I will 

 give you such experience as I have had myself and through others on this speci- 

 men of the forest. I cannot believe that the catalpa ties would successfully resist 

 the crushing strains under ordinary railway traffic, unless used with a tie-plate; 

 the wood is not heavy, nor dense, nor sufficiently strong, we think, to withstand 

 the constant pounding of our heavy-loaded trains on the rail. This timber will 

 hold spikes as well as oak, or any other timber now in use for ties. If used ivith 

 a tie plate, as stated above, I believe the catalpa tie of standard size (6x8x8} 

 would last not less than fifteen years, and perhaps longer, The few experi- 

 ments made with this timber that can be authenticated have not yet shown the 

 full life of the catalpa tie. We have on several occasions attempted to trace ex- 

 periments in this direction, and have always been led to a standstill, for the reason 

 that we could not find that a systematic test had been made. A number of years 

 ago we had a few of these catalpa ties brought up from southern Illinois, and 

 they were used as an experiment in the Springfield yards, at Springfield, Mo., on 

 the old K. C. & M. railroad. They were laid in a wet place, under constant 

 switching traffic. These few ties did not decay, but were pounded to pieces, 

 as there were no tie-plates used in connection with them. The road-bed at 

 that time was not in first-class shape, so that the test was made under the 

 worst possible conditions, and, of course failed. . . . 



Very truly yours, H. P. JACQUES, 



Purchasing and Timber Agent. 



COLORADO & SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY. (" Colorado Road. ") 



DENVER, COLO., January 31, 1902. 



I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 29th, relative to use of catalpa 

 for ties. I have had no experience whatever with this timber, and should be 

 pleased to see your bulletin, when issued, as it is a subject in which I am inter- 

 ested. We may possibly set out some catalpa trees in Colorado and try the 

 experiment of growing them. Yours, H. W. COWAN, Chief Engineer. 



THE WABASH RAILROAD COMPANY, 



ST. Louis, Mo., February 19, 1902. 



I have your letter of February 17. We have no catalpa ties on the road, so 

 far as I am advised, but I desire to say that ivhile they will probably not hold 

 spikes as well as white oak ties, this would not be an especially objection- 

 able feature. The matter of ties holding spikes is of comparatively small 

 moment in these days, in view of the fact that railroad-tracks are kept in 

 better line and surface than they ivere informer years, better ballast being 

 used and tracks being maintained in altogether better condition in every 

 way. There is little difficulty with spikes drawing out of the ties, no matter 

 what sort of timber is used. With the present heavy traffic there is scarcely 

 any tie that will prevent the rail from cutting in. This is prevented, how- 

 ever, by the use of tie-plates, and the plates are coming into use very rapidly 

 for the purpose of preventing the cutting away of the tie by the rail. I am in- 

 clined to the opinion that catalpa ties will do as ivell as anything we have, 

 and perhaps be more durable than the timber in common use. I shall be 

 pleased to give you any further information I possibly can. 



Yours truly, W. S. LINCOLN, Chief Engineer. 



