April 1902.] The Hardy Catalpa. 133 



COMMERCIAL CATALPA PLANTATIONS. 



The forests at Belmont and Bertrand, Mo.: One of the earliest 

 railroads in the West to commence the growing of trees for post and 

 tie purposes was the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad 

 Company, which started two plantations of catalpa trees in the late 

 '70's, in southeastern Missouri. Concerning these Mr. Kerrigan, su- 

 perintendent, reported as follows, in a letter printed on page 15 of a 

 document entitled "Preliminary Report on the- Forestry of the Mis- 

 sissippi Valley, and Tree Planting on the Plains," by F. P. Baker, 

 published by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1883 : 



"We have no trees planted on our road except 50,000 catalpa trees on right of 

 way near Charleston, Mo. We have a plantation or farm of catalpa trees (100,- 

 000 trees) on the Belmont branch, eighteen miles from Belmont, Mo. The above 

 were all raised from seed. We also have a catalpa farm of 150,000 trees at Ber- 

 trand, Mo. , about twenty miles from Bird's Point, on the Cairo branch of this road. 

 These were planted in June, 1880, from slips. Have been cultivated twice, and 

 are now in fine, thrifty condition ; will average about eight feet high, and will not 

 require any cultivation after next year." 



Neglect of these plantations on the part of the railroad company, 

 necessitated by temporary financial stringency, resulted in their utter 

 failure. The following interesting letter from Mr. Hansen, the assist- 

 ant engineer of the road, is in sad contrast to Mr. Kerrigan's report 

 in 1883. 



MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILWAY. 

 ST. Louis, IRON MOUNTAIN & SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY. 



ST. Louis, Mo., February 15, 1902. 



Replying to your favor of January 22, written to Mr. H. Rohwer, chief engineer 

 of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company, and by him referred to me, I have the 

 following report to make : In southeastern Missouri, many years ago, the St. 

 Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Company planted two farms of catal- 

 pas, but change of management caused same to be neglected. Dull times struck 

 the railroad company and the two plantations were neglected; no allowance be- 

 ing made for their care. Grass growing up among the trees, a fire catching the 

 grass killed and scorched a great many of them. Finally the plantations were 

 leased to parties for farming purposes, and the young trees were cut off. Some 

 of the trees got large enough to make fence- posts. They will grow in almost any 

 kind of soil ; black sandy loam, black sticky gumbo, or sandy land. The best, 

 tallest and largest in this vicinity grow in the timber land in our swamp bottoms. 

 There are fence-posts on the division of the Belmont branch now in use, 

 sound and good, which have been there over twenty years. I am sorry that the 

 catalpa growth was neglected here as it has been. This is all the information I 

 am able to give you on the subject. Yours truly, 



M. A. HANSEN, Assistant Engineer. 



