FOEEST TREES. 



125 



raised from seed. Wood very similar to the common Cliest- 

 nut, but the small branches and twigs are tougher. 



The Chinese and Japanese Chestnuts are probably varieties of 

 the European species (C vesca), and the one recently introduced 

 under the name of Castanea Japonica is a handsome little tree, 

 coming into bearing when quite young, is very prolific, and 

 the nuts are quite large. The tree, so far as it has been tested, 

 appears to be as hardy as the common Chestnut. Only a few 

 specimens have as yet fruited in this country, consequently, I 

 can say little more of it than that it promises to be an acquisition. 

 There are also quite a number of ornamental varieties in culti- 

 vation, one of the best known of these is the Cut-leaved (var. 

 laciniata\ a handsome tree with the margin of the leaves finely 

 cut or divided. 



CATALPA. — Lidian Bean Tree, 



Shrubs or trees with large, simple leaves, branches rather 

 coarse and stiff. Flowers bell-shaped, appearing late in spring. 

 Seed flat with fringed wings, produced in long, slender pods. 

 All the species readily propagated by seeds, layers and cuttings 

 of the ripe wood. 



Catalpa bigaonioides, Walt. — Common Catalpa. — ^Leaves large, 

 heart-shaped, pointed, downy beneath. Flowers tubular, bell- 

 shaped, somewhat five-lobed, an inch long, white, flecked on the 

 inside with yellow and purple ; appearing late in spring in large, 

 open, terminal panicles as shown in figure 85. Seed-pods very 

 long, a foot or more. Seeds flat with narrow or broad fringed 

 wings. A small or large tree, according to soil and location, 

 with very coarse, stubby, cane-like shoots and branches, usually 

 a round-headed tree when given room, but when growing in 

 forests the Catalpa assumes an erect and sturdy habit, growing 

 to a hight of sixty or more feet, with stem two to four feet in 

 diameter. Wood light, only about one half the weight of 

 common hickory, but close-grained and susceptible of a fine 

 polish, very durable and valuable for fence posts, railroad ties, 

 and all similar purposes. A rapid growing tree, especially 

 when young. As a shade tree it has been extensively planted 

 in our Eastern States, and on dry, well-drained soils it is quite 

 hardy in localities where the temperature of winter does not 

 go more than twenty degrees below zero, although I have 

 known it to withstand twenty-seven degrees below in my 

 neighborhood without injury, even when many of the native 



