106 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 
Of course, under such conditions it may require several decades for one 
stronger tree to overcome and destroy all its fellows, as it must do before 
it can begin its upward growth. This is the natural history of the honey 
locust as usually found outside the forest. 
Locust tree is a name applied to several trees of different genera in vari- 
ous portions of the world, but in the United States it is given to the black 
locust, robinia pseudacacia, and the honey locust, gleditschia triacanthos, or three- 
thorned acacia, both being indigenous to this country. 
The former produces racemes of fragrant white flowers. The seeds, which 
are small, are contained in dry, brownish-colored pods four inches long. The 
bark of branches is studded with short thorns, half inch in length. 
The latter has inconspicuous flowers, while the seed, much larger than 
those of black locust, are imbedded in a sweetish gum in pods eight or nine 
inches long and one and a half inches broad. These pods are curled and 
twisted. The thorns are branched, usually in threes. Occasionally we find 
a honey locust which does not produce thorns, or but sparingly. These are 
preferable for planting. 
American pioneers “knew a good thing when they saw it.” Therefore 
thousands of miles of worm fences were built of walnut rails. Many hun- 
dreds of miles of similar fences were built of catalpa rails, while a thousand 
miles of straight fence still remain in which the posts are of catalpa. In like 
manner every honey locust tree to be found in the forests was cut because of 
its superior worth for farm purposes. 
Few people have seen so large and fine honey locust as we picture, which 
still stands in Gibson County, Ind. It is 120 inches girth and 120 feet in 
height, standing on the edge of a catalpa forest, near the Southern Railway. 
While the honey locust grows faster on rich alluvial land, yet they are well 
adapted for growing upon rough, poor hill land, and if planted singly, will 
become valuable and profitable in such localities. 
The wood is somewhat coarse grained, of reddish color. Its handsome 
appearance commends it as a cabinet wood. It is difficult to distinguish lum- 
ber made from this tree from that of Kentucky coffee trees. Both are rare in 
the markets. 
Contrary opinions are held by woodsmen regarding the durability of 
honey locust when used for fence posts, etc., in the ground. 
The location where they are grown, rich or poor soil, rapidity of growth, 
and time of cutting and setting the posts, whether green or seasoned, govern 
their durability. 
All wood intended for contact with the ground, no matter of what species, 
should be first well seasoned. One stick may decay quickly, while another will 
last for many years. Oak, catalpa, black and honey locust, all come under 
this rule. The sap contains fermenting materials which attract and feed the 
spores of decay, while if seasoned, the germs of fermentation are killed and 
tot takes place very slowly. 
This fact is well known to managers of wood preservation plants, who 
first remove the sap with its fermenting materials before injecting the chem- 
ical antiseptic preservatives. 
