Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-02-24
catalpa is a Forest Wonder,

How forest OF extremely valua-
BILE timber may be grown in score
of years and make a source of pro-
fit within six or eight years will
be demonstrated in an interesting
exhibit at the Worlds Fair. This
exhibit will be made under the au-
spices of the International Society
of Arboriculture. John P. Brown,
secretary and treasurer of the associa-
ton, has consulted with the chiefs
of departments at the Worlds Fair
and has made all arrangements.
This particular variety of the cat
alpa tree, known as Speciosa, will
be the baeis for this exhibit and TIE
'reaitS; asrs. sdaptibility d TTi..s
wood will be shown Ill all forms.
The catalpa is indigenous to the
Wabash bottom lands in Illinois
and Indiana, but may be grown in
any section Of the United States.
The tree is known nearly every
where, but its great value is just
beginning to be understood. Nearly
every boy knows the tree because
of the long and slender seed pods,
which when dried burns much
like tobacco. and is often known as
the lady cigars" 1t is the worth
of the timber, and its marvelously
quick growth, that is designed to
solve the problem of future railroad
building and furnish q supply of
lumber for all purposes. In the
Worlds Fair exhibit section OF
railroad will be built showing the
adaptability of catalpa timber for
ties. Old ties, that have been in
use for thirty-two years and not yet
showing any signs Of decay, will be
shown. When it is shown that the
average life of an oak tie is seven
years the catalpa's value on this
line is demonstrated. There will
be telegraph and telephone poles
that have been in use as long, and
fence posts will be exhibited that
can be proved to have been in use
for 100 years.
Not alone for these purposes is
the wood of the catalpa valued A
prominent Dayton, Ohio, car build.
ing plant will exhibit section of a
palace car, all of the timbers Of
which, inside wood out, are of cat.
alpa wood. The wood possesses all
Of the requirements of such work
being strong and susceptible to a fine
finish After it has been placed in
the finish Of palace car is often
mistaken for oak, chestnut or cherry
Furniture factories will also exhibit
fine chairs, desks and other furni
ture made from this wood.
The Arboriculture society's ex.
hibit will not stop with showing thu
varied uses to which the lumber
f.om the catalpa forests may be put
but it will show catalpa may b,
grown anywhere within very few
years. The seed is planted in good
rich garden soil, and in shor
time they spring up. The youn!
shoots should be transplanted with
in a year, for the roots reach ou
, in every direction, and the best re
suits are obtained from early trans
| planting. The trees should set ou
> in spaces Of s feet in either diret
5 ton. The growth is exceedingl
rapid, being uniformly l inch i
, diameter for each year. At the en-
} Of the sixth year the trees have al
tanned a diameter Of 6 inches. The
! it is best for the trees to thin thel
out, cutting down each alternate roy
| and then each alternate tree in til
Y rows that remain. This leaves I'll
! trees standing l6 feet apart.
The trees that are cut may be use
for posts, and then the forest yielc
# fair return during the thinnin
V process.
i 'Pole ties" from oak trees al
= practically valueless, because of tt
: sap in the latter's years growth
( the tree. The wood that contai1
it the sap soon decays and this col
g teammates the rest of the timbe
r. There is practically no sap in Il
j catalpa, and "Pole ties" from tn
= wood last an indefinite number
! years.
After the thinning-out process IL