176 THE TREE BOOK 



fierce blast doing its share toward unlocking 

 the treasure boxes and starting at least a few 

 seeds upon their adventurous journeys. The 

 name catalpa is an Indian ' word meaning 

 ' ' winged head. ' ' The light, large-plumed seeds 

 are carried far and wide by the winds, and are 

 able to travel long distances by floating on the 

 water. The tree grows rapidly, and is espe- 

 cially valuable for posts, telephone poles, and 

 the like. The catalpa speciosa, the largest 

 member in the catalpa family of two, often 

 grows one hundred and twenty feet high and 

 bears immense pods. Because of its large 

 fleshy roots, the tree transplants more easily 

 than almost any other kind, quite large trees 

 beuig moved with safety. 



The little Judas-tree is so called because 'tis 

 sometimes said that the prince of traitors 

 hanged himself on the old-world relative of this 

 species. It is a handsome tree at all seasons 

 of the year, but in the latter part of April and 

 the first of May, when its rosy, butterfly petals 

 fairly cover the tree, it is a sight to behold. So 

 eager are the blossoms to decorate the tree that 

 they sometimes appear even upon the trunk. 

 The bark of the tree is purplish gray, with al- 

 most smooth twigs and younger branches. The 

 shuttle-shaped pods gleam with a hint of yellow 



