126 STATE OF MICHIGAN. 



timber should furnish a harvest of 1,000 posts ten years after setting. 

 The cost of this output is figured at |75.00, or 71/2 cents per post. These 

 iigures cover growing and harvesting; but do not reckon th^ value of 

 the remainder of the tops, certainly of much worth for grape sticks, 

 mine props and fire wood. When once cut over, if the sprouts which 

 spring from the stumps are properly thinned, another crop may be 

 obtained in much shorter time than the first. 



To grow a crop of posts ought not to be very burdensonme either on 

 the farm or tl^e farmer. A strip of land relatively narrow to admit of 

 economical tillage should be selected. If this is so placed that the grow- 

 ing trees may serve as a shelter belt they may begin earning good money 

 for their owner as soon as set out. Those interested in noting the 

 advantage of shelter belts may refer to "The Soil" — King, p. 206. Of 

 com'se every land owner has not the provision needed to urge him to 

 plant trees. Some are content to eat the apples that grow from other's 

 planting, but when it comes to posts and the thought of buying a lot of 

 relatively short-lived cedar posts every few years, may be the whole 

 thing of tree planting will seem easier. Plant trees; then attend to 

 them. 



Two sorts of trees are recommended by experts; the locusts, prefer- 

 ably the honey locust, and the hardy catalpa, — Cnfalpa speeiosa. The 

 timber from these trees proves \'ery resistant to decay. Of the catalpa 

 Mr. E. E. Barney, of Dayton, O., who employed a man to investigate 

 the tree in Illinois and elsewhere, says : [This man] "Sends a piece of 

 fence post with the bark on perfectly sound, that has been in the ground 

 forty-seven years ; * * * the posts have been taken up and reset, 

 and the owner, Mr. Murphy, says they are good for the balance of a 

 century." 



Probably less than an acre of land would be required for furnishing 

 a home supply of posts for the average Michigan farm. Mr. W. A. 

 Brotherton suggests the planting of honey locust with the catalpa to 

 help break the winds from the latter. It is found that in exposed spots 

 the very unusual cold weather of last season killed the catalpa tops. 

 This tree sprouts vigorously from the stump. Sprouts about seven feet 

 high were observed bearing enormous leaves; attesting to the unim- 

 paired vigor of the roots. The honey locust seems entirely hardy. 



Tree men are offering small trees of these sorts at low prices; where 

 it is inconvenient for one to secure seed for himself with which to make 

 the start, the whips may be purchased. Care should be observed that 

 the genuine hardy catalpa is furnished. 



The road side specimen of honey locust, illustrated growing at Roch- 

 ester, Mich., is pi'obably twenty-four years old. It is large enough to 

 furnish several posts. Under conditions of cultivation the same gi'owth 

 would likely be attained in much less time. The smaller tree at the left 

 is a white-wood or tulip tree. It is of the same age. 



The market for posts in Southern Michigan is illustrated by the other 

 view on the farm of Mr. J. 0. Day, near Rochester. In fencing his 300- 

 acre property three car loads of posts and a car of wire were used. 



It is in the hope that many may be interested in securing and study- 

 ing Bulletin, 140 of the Ohio Experiment Station on "The Hardy Oatalpa 

 as a Farm Crop," Wooster, O., that I have given more notice to this tree 

 than to the valuable honey locust. 



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