39 



the great tendency which these have of throwing up suckers 

 or sprouts, and at great distances from the tree. * * * 

 The cultivation of the Locust is more profitable upon rich and 

 loamy soils, or at least upon soils underlaid by a good subsoil. 

 And on such bottom it grows more rapidly, and does not 

 appear to be so much injured by the attacks of the borer. Its 

 rapid growth is especially noticeable in the green sand marl 

 district of our State, whenever its roots and innumerable 

 rootlets can penetrate the marl. The red sand bed of the same 

 geological formation also appears to be favorable to its growth. 

 And any soil, underlaid by a tolerably stiff subsoil, is adapted 

 to it, provided it is not too wet. * * * In view of the 

 rapid diminution of the area of forests in this State and the 



Robinia pseudacada, L. Locust. 



Fig. 81. 

 Acacia. Yellow Locust. From Sargent's 



Trees of North 



consequent injurious changes in our climatic phenomena, and 

 also in consequence of the increasing demand for more dura- 

 ble and valuable woods, the cultivation of the Locust should 

 be rapidly extended. The small expense and the slight atten- 

 tion needed make the experiment easy of trial, and the profits 

 of successful or thrifty growth are so large as to attract the 

 attention of all landowners. It is not necessary in the in- 

 terests of climate to surrender areas, now tilled, to forest or to 

 devote them to the cultivation of this wood, although, as a 

 matter of profit, the locust areas of Monmouth county can 

 show larger returns per acre than the average net receipts 

 from the farmed lands of the State ; but it is sufficient for 



