204 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 
One variety of wood, a native of the United States, is in itself proof 
against decay. In the fiber of the wood there is stored away those antiseptic 
substances which makes it practically immune to the attacks of rot fungus. 
This is Catalpa speciosa, many articles of which have lasted through more 
than a century. 
The earliest railways of southern Indiana, southern Illinois and south- 
east Missouri, were constructed through or near the catalpa slashes or 
swamps and whenever possible to secure this wood, which even through the 
sixteenth century had gained a reputation for extreme durability, tt was used 
for telegraph poles, bridge timbers and cross ties or sleepers. 
Engineers of that period were profuse in their admiration and praise of 
the catalpa as a most enduring wood and well suited to those uses, but 
through the changes of officials which have taken place, the identity and 
location of most of those ties has been lost, yet enough remains to convince 
reasonable men of the high character of catalpa for durability and adaptability 
for ties and poles. 
The great abundance of white oak in the middle states up to a recent 
period and the low price of ties, has prevented a careful study of this subject 
except with a few earnest men. 
Mr. Barney, the senior, the veteran car builder of Dayton, Ohio, men- 
tioned several ties and timbers which had been in use for very long periods, 
while Dr. John A. Warder, Mr. Robert Douglas and others, a quarter of a 
century ago, offered abundant evidence in this regard, all being enthusiastic 
in praise of the catalpa for railways. 
There is no reasonable doubt that cross ties made of sound, seasoned 
catalpa wood will last thirty-five years, or five times as long as oak, seven 
times as long as red wood or pine. 
EVIDENCES OF THE DURABILITY OF CATALPA. 
The author has contended for many years that if a railway were using 
cross ties they would require to be renewed but twice in a century, that is, 
that the durability of these ties would be thirty-five years. 
There has been an abundance of evidence of the lasting qualities of this 
wood, given by engineers and railway officials during the past century, but 
the proof now discovered and made public in this publication is of most 
positive character and is indisputable. 
When trees may be grown in so short a time as sixteen years, which will 
last in the track as cross ties twice the length of time required for the trees 
to grow, it is worthy the attention of all railway officials and is of especial 
interest to stockholders who furnish the money for expenses. 
In 1872, the old Air Line Railway began laying tracks through Edwards 
County, Illinois. In the construction of this road large numbers of catalpa 
cross ties were used, the timber secured in the swamps adjoining. Some old 
citizens of the locality informed me several months since that some of the 
ties still remained in the track and that they could find them. 
