The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-05-14

recent meeting revealed the startling fact that,
owing to the enormous growth OF the lumber
business, 1t will only take twenty years TO ex.
haust the pine forests of the United States Of
America If the present rate of depletion
continue, IN the course Of five years all of the
black walnut timber large enough for logs
will be used up also, the way our oak tim.
bers are being used up for railroad ties, coop
eragc, and other purposes, IN the course OF for
ty years our forests of oak will be consumed.
Other varieties of timber are disappearing IN
proportion to the above named varieties.
1t becomes every American phllanthropist,
male or female, old or young, to commence
forest.tree planting Immediately
1t is said that every tree planted Is living
monument to the planter. Let us all have
some living iorest.trec monuments, 10 let tn
ture generations know that we were here and
did something in our day and generation for
our country's good. The leading question
now Is, what variety of timber TO plant that
will make the quickest returns, is the easiest
grown. and be worth the most money. Catal.
pa speciosa, or Western Catalpa, is decidedly
the best. 1t IS indigenous TO Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. There are
trees found in the forests as large as our larg.
est oaks or walnuts. The timber has been
known to last from fifty to one hundred years,
for stockadcs, gate posts, barposts, fence posts,
footlogs, etc. Its growth is more rapid Than
soft maple. One tree, forty years old, planted
by A. Bryant, ST., OF Princeton, Bureau coun.
ty, Ill.,, Is three feet in diameter and fifty or
more feet III height, standing on his front
lawn. Ii is beautiful. Towering tree very
fragrant when in bloom. The foliage Is as
large as the sun.tlower, and like the sun.lower
has tendency to draw the impurities from
the atmosphere, and make the general health
of the people better in the community where
it is extensively grown. 1t will succeed well
on any of the bottom-lands of the great Mis-
sissippi. Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, or any OF the
high pralrles Of the West. On any land where
soft maple or cottonwood will grow success
fully the catalpa can be'grown.
The catalps timber being imperlshable I'M
der or lying on the ground, it can be used for
the following purposes, to wit Railroad ties,
telegraph poles, fence posts, grapevine posts,
hop poles, lumber for canoes, skiilS, boats,
ships, shingles, weather boarding, cooperage,
water tanks, framing timber for bridges, piles,
the manufacture of railroad cars, lumber for
sidewalks and pump stocks, undertakers'
stock, etc.
Instructions TO PLANTERS: Plow as you
would for corn; harrow well; mark off three
and a half feet each way; plant As early in
spring as The ground will work well use one.
yearOld seedlings; set with narrow spade,
similar to setting hedge plants; cultivate the
first year with common two.horsc cultvator
the second and third years use one-horse
double shovel plow; after that they will take
care of themselves. One acre will contain
5000 trees. In five years after planting they
will begin to crowd every other tree will want
cutting out large enough tor fence posts,
grapevine posts hop poles, etc, 1900 in num-
Der, that will sell readily for % cents each,
making 1910. In ten years they will begin to
crowd again Every other tree must be cut out
large enough for telegraph -750-worth
so cents each, making 1915 In twenty years
they will again begin to crowd, and must
again have every other tree cut out-3I5,
large enough for railroad ties, worth one
dollar each, making 1915. In thirty
years they will again begin to crowd,
and 1877 trees must be cut out, large enough
for piles, brdgetimber, etc, worth 81 each,
making 1914. The balance of 1873 trees in
forty years will be large enough tor saw.logs
for lumber, shingles, Cooperage, etc, worth 81
per tree, making $753. The five large sales
amounting to the sum of S2,252, grown on
one acre in forty years, with an expense of
about 500 tor plants and labor Any ordina-
ry farmer can plant ten acres as easily as one,
and in the same ratio 1t Will loom up into the
fabulous sum OF 500 $40.
Our government gives timber claim of 100
acres to every American citizen, man or wo-
man, of the age Of 81, and they are not obliged
to live on it, for planting ten acres OF timber,
and the timber belongs to the planter. Said
100 acres with this catalpa grove on 1t will be
worth in forty years a, least $4,000. 1t is
hoped that large per cent. Of our enterprls-
ing American men and women will embrace
this great opportunity to become wealthy, and
help build up the forestry of our beloved
country. A. III. CASTOR, Lacon, ILL.,