young trees are easily grown from seeds. The Eastern 
Catalpa (^Catalpa bignonioides) is a low, wide-spread tree 
of very limited value in the Middle West, and the little 
Umbrella Catalpa, so popular at one time, completes the 
list of these plants in this territory. There is one 
more species from west China which is hardy; Bunge's 
Catalpa (C. Bungei), and some forms which have been con- 
fused with the Yellow Flowered (C. Ovata); the first is a 
small tree, the second is a very tall forest species. 
The only one to be grown in our territory is the Western 
Catalpa {C. speciosa) , and it is the best suited to the 
background planting of a large garden. 
TREE 
This tree is noteworthy for its large leaves— the 
largest of any native tree, attaining a length of sixteen 
inches and made up of many leaflets. It is distinct also 
in that it has the stoutest branches of the native trees; 
the ends of the twigs are often one-half inch in diameter. 
It is ordinarily a tree of the river bottoms and the 
nearby talus slopes, although it may be found around oia 
cabin sites in parts of the Ozarks. Only occasionally 
does it develop into the spreading habit deemed necessary 
for a shade tree. As an occasional tree in our woodlots 
the Kentucky Coffee Tree iGymnocladus dioicus) is usually 
without many side branches. It would be a Particularly 
interesting garden subject and certainly could be used in 
the natural border. A wide spreading specimen would maKe 
an interesting lawn tree since the extremely stout 
branches and regularly curved, flaky bark would stamp 
as an unusual tree. It may attain a height of/^f J^ 
feet in good locations, but rarely exceeds ^alf of JJ^^- 
It has no special bad habits and the winter silhouette is 
distinct from that of any other tree. The ^^^^^H^^?^ 
pods, half as large as a small banana, hang on throui,n 
the cold winter. 
CORK TREE 
In the Middle West the term Cork Tree ^PP^^f ^\^^' 
Asiatic specimen known by that name and ^escrioea y 
botanist as Phellodendron. The most satisfactory one^^^^ 
the Amur Cork Tree, (P. amurense) , but at least .^ 
specimens have been described. Like "^o^^^^^"^. ^^ve 
species, the growth habit is grotesque. In twen y 
5 
