The Kanzas news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1857-1859, 1857-09-26
From the Wisconsin Farmer.
Cultivation of Timber.

The Locust, among the quick-growing,
valuable, and durable species of timber,
probably presents the strongest claims for
Western cultivation. Considerable differ
ence of opinion seems to have arisen as to
| the most desirable variety; some preferring
| the yellow, some the black, while others as
sert that they are essentially one and the
same thing.
A st. Louis correspondent states TO US
/! that the black and yellow are one and the
same thing, with them; that their seed is
gathered from the common timber locust of
the southwest, and usually called black To-
Gust; that il IS very durable timber, &c
| We have ordered seed from St. Louis, and
also from New York, in order to learn by
comparison whether there is any visible diff
ference, either in the seed or peculiarites of
growth.
MoDE OF PLANTING AND CULTURE.-Lo-
Gust should be planted about the first day
of May. The seed, before planting, should
be put in basin and covered amply with
boiling hot water, and allowed to stand for
twenty-four hours, at which time it will be
found that most of the seed is swelled to
nearly twice its former size. That portion
is ready to plant, and should be separated
from the unswelled seed, which, if it be good,
will also swell by repetition of the scald-
ing process. Such as do not swell will not
come up if planted. The sooner it is plant
ed after being swelled the better.
A good way to plant is in rows three and
a half feet apart, and from six to ten inches
in the row, the soil having been prepared
nicely, as for carrots. An inch deep is suf-
fcient. New clean land is decidedly pre-
ferable, as they come forward slowly, and
viii be likely to be badly checked by weeds
on land that is foul.
Rowed as above, it can be cultivated
readily by hand or horse; and ordinarily,
about the second year will be the best time
for transplanting them on the plat where
they are intended to grow permanently.
Another good mode of planting is to take
last years breaking, and prepare it as fol-
corn, and after rowing it about three and a
half feet both ways, to plant every alternate
hill with corn, and the other with locust;
thus raising a lolerably crop of corn, with
out particularly harming the locust, for the
first year. By the second year, if they
grow well, they will need the whole ground,
which, if not weedy, will need no conside-
rable attention except cleaning through with
ming affords ample trees for filing vacan-
cies, or extending the size of the field by
further planting.
Il The value of locust timber, for many OF
the most important uses, has not probably
been over estimated. That Its cultivation
would pay more largely per acre upon our
cheap prairie lands (the farther from timber
the better) than almost any other honest
and useful speculation that could well be
embarked in, we have no doubt. And that
it will pay all our open-land farmers to go as
early as possible into its cultivation, We are
equally sure.
We subioin few items from the debates
of the American Institute Farmers Club,
February 18th, as to its quality for dura-
bility, etc.
Judge Meigs said that 20 years ago there
were two locust posts standing in New Ha-
ven, perfectly sound at heart, which has
stood over 7Oyears, and for aught he knows,
are just as sound at this day.
i Mr.. Pardee stated that red cedar posts
from Canada outlast any other timber used
in Western New York. He has seen them
quite sound after thirty years use.
Prof Mapes-Can any one tell why this
timber outlasts all other timber, locust per-
haps expected?
j Mr.. Pardee said it was generally conced-
ed that posts set top down will last twice as
long as when set the other way. He sug-
gested that red cedar lasts better than othel
wood, because it harbors no worms.
DIR. Wellington doubts the advantage o
preserving posts by any expensive process
because posts can be grown cheaper thar
: they can be preserved, in many instances
by planting locust trees by the side of the
fence, particularly along the roadside.
Judge Meigs said, a man of the city plant
ed 10000 locust trees after he was fifty
years old, and they grew large enough fo
posts for sale before he died.
7. W. Field said that the locust timbe
upon some places on Long Island was wortl
more than the soil.
Judge Meigs said that Mr.. Eckford told
1 him thirty years ago, that he paid 500
e year for a lot of locust trees.
e The liability of the locust to be injured
by the borer is somewhat of an objection t.
D it, beyond doubt. Still, we do not thinl
e that ii ought to deter people from its culture
as their attacks are only occasional and scat
tered, not involving greater hazard, per
haps, than hangs over most human opera
e tons, even human life; yet who thinks Sc
riously of quitting the cultivation of tn
genus homo on that account?
, ..C1RcuMLocUr1oN.' The Queen Q
Dude, now in England, recently presente,