what they are in the East. To keep the record straight 
and follow "Standard Plant Names," we shall call 
iGleditsia triacanthos) , Honey Locust, even though this 
is the tree known as Black Locust throughout Missouri 
As a street or lawn tree, it is partly satisfactory. It 
has the no mean advantage of being able to grow anywhere. 
It is at home along streams, but invades the dry rocky 
hills and manages to remain there for twenty years. In 
its proper habitat it becomes an immense tree, the trunk 
exceeding three feet in diameter, arid attaining a height 
of one- hundred feet. It is a tree almost without an 
enemy and during a drout cycle, it conveniently sheds its 
leaves and thus reduces transpiration. The species gen- 
erally produces immense thorns which are objectionable in 
the pasture and even more undesirable on the lawns, ihe 
rather unusual bark and branch tracery in winter recom- 
mends it as a tree for the border. However, the most ob- 
jectionable feature, the immense thorns, does not occur 
in the variety known as the Thornless Honeylocust C(;. J. 
inermis). On the whole, this variety seems a little less 
vigorous and perhaps shorter-lived, but it does not grow 
thorns, thus avoiding the one feature barring this tree 
for street or lawn use. The leaflets are so tiny that 
they constitute no maintenance problem. But the immense 
curled pods, up to eighteen inches long, may ^^^^^^^^ 
ditional effort to keep a lawn in good shape, in sou 
east Missouri, there is a single-seeded ^pecies caiiea 
the Water Locust (G. aguotica). This tree combines tne 
advantages of the thornless variety with one that pr 
duces small seeds. It is a distinct tree, hardy in tne 
St. Louis region, but not too happy away from the swamps. 
It is almost unknown from nursery catalogues, ana 
advantages are imperfectly understood. 
lut. uunuuuu Locust {Bobinia pseudoacacia) ^^J^""^ 
from the foregoing in that it has gray-ridged t>arK i 
stead of smooth black bark, and the flowers are white, 
while the foregoing species has quite inconspicuous 
yellow flowers. This tree has been widely ^f ^ '" . ^^ 
erosion control. While not heavily armed, it is j^^_^^ 
tionable because it sends up so many root sprout . ^^ ^ 
of course, is an advantage in gully control ^o^^' .^ 
few plants are established at the bottom of^<^\ -dioinini 
Will not be long before the tree has invaded the adjom 
ommon 
13 
