The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-15
FOREST RESTORATION.


Baltimore Sun.
The international Society Of Arboricul-
ture, through Its secretary. Mr. j. +.
Brown, of Connersville, Ind, has published
an interesting pan phlet TO present in a
concise form the problem of railway cross
ties and the value of the catalpa tree as
a practical solution of this problem. The
| catalpa specicsa-very different from the
ordinary catalpa found in the South-pro-
duces exceedingly straight and durable
timber, good for furniture. posts and boat
building as well as crossties. 1t is inoig-
enous TO the lower valley Of the Wabash
river in Indiana and Illinois. where it grows
to a height of eighty feet. 1t mas peen
planted with success IN California, NeNdud
and Utah, winning ,graat Iavor by us raplo
compact, of fine texture, or a stra" coi0r
and susceptible of the most brilliant pol
ish. The catalpa's rapid growth ana uurd-
| bility are. however, the virtues that recon-
mend 1t for crOssties. Railroad men assert
that it holds a spike as well as OAK ana
find its annual expenses for repairs nlihlh-
ished $500 per mile" The catalpa, grown
from seed, will, in sixteen years, pr3dosx1
timber enough for five crossties, whlch VIII
last for thirty-five years.
The Agricultural Society's seeretary
urges upon railways the duty OF eo rs
catalpa along their rights of way, otV TO
the mile on each side OF the lraca. LII 90
teen years the result will be o,gN ~
enough TO relay a mile Of tracks. since lily
tree renews itself from the stump, wien
cut, there will be n new growth OF Tree,
and the supply Will be permanent. mus
transportation will be saved ana az me
! same time the right of way will be shaded
and beautified. That a tie famine is lminl-
nent is evidenced by the advancing price
OF ties and the invention OF many ne"
processes for making ties last longer.
There are in use to-day in the Unlted otdtSs
7S0,OO0,OO crossties. For renewals there aLI
required annually 112,0 00. O00. The annuAl
outgo of the railroads for ties Is SO0.CoV,WV-
As there will be required for new conSlruc-
ton and renewals in the next twenty. years
as many as three billions of ties, 1t is eFl-
dent that trees must be planted 10 meet the
demand, If resort is not to be made 10 1ne
expensive and unsatisfactory steel tie. Inc
secretary of the Indiana Forestry Assocla-
ton produces statistics to show that, IN the
absence OF a systematic forest policy, Inns
country is rapidly becoming stripped OF
economic woods. Our woodlands are dimi1-
ishing in area. Lumbermen are fast cut
ting away the remaining available supply
the devastation. The bad effect OF all this
on our climate was adequately set forth IN
our columns by Professor Chler several
days ago.
The official estimate of the amount Of
timber left standing in the United States,
according to Washington publications, Is
1850, 0OO,0 900 feet, board measure. or
enough to last fifty years, the East being
credited with 750, 900, 100000 feet. This, Mr..
Brown contends, is a grossly inaccurate es-
innate, and his review of the state of the
case in Indiana seems TO confirm bis critl-
cism. The Washington authorities credit
Indiana with 10, 500 square miles of forest,
but this as absurd, as the real forests of
m~erchantable timber are gone. The forest
area is arrived at in Washington. 1t is
stated. by a computation. The area of
farm crops is deducted from the whole area
OF the State and the remainder is assumed
to be forest. But "a few scattering trees
i'm a pasture lot, or along a creek bank, do
not constitute a forest" Mr.. Brown con-
tends, nor are forests which have been
cleared of all valuable trees and turned
over 10 the State as no longer worth the
taxes" to be regarded as economic for
ests." Broken and mountainous land with
here and there a worthless brush is not
| properly to be included in an estimate Of
forest wealth. To restore useful timber to
abandoned lands is the duty of the State
and to provide a supply OF ties is the bust
ness of the railways. The oak, 1t is held, is
of too slow growth; the Catalpa speciosa
is the tree that promises the largest result
in the shortest time.