The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-20
INTERESTING TALK
 ON ARBOR|CULTURE We'll Known Authority on For
 estry Visits Birmingham VALUE OF CATALPA TREE John p. Brown, Secretary of Inter- national Society of ArboricuIture, Points Out the Best Method
 of Perpetuatine Forests.

John P. Brown of Connersville, Ind, editor of Arboriculture-a magazine of the Industrial Society of Arboriculture-was in Birmingham yesterday. He is reeog- nized authority on foresty and is secre- tary of the society of which his publica- ton is the organ. MT. Brown has charge of the work of planting and cultivating trees on large tracts owned by railroads in this section.
 "As all well informed people know" said MT. Brown, the timber in the south years. It will be but few years when the yellow pine and the hard woods will be exhausted. It is serious question which this country must solve as to what will or can take the place of these woods after they are gone.
 Ships which were formerly built of oak and pine, are now almost entirely constructed of steel. Buildings in the cities are now made of brick, Iron and concrete, wood having been eliminated to a large extent from city buildings. So also with numerous articles. But all of these articles have added greatly to the cost of con struction, and yet there are innumerable articles in constant use which cannot be made from any other material than wood.
 How shall the timber be procured ?'' continued MT. Brown. "Only by protect ing and perpetuating our forests and by planting additional acres in timber where the original forests have been cleared away.
 The Railways.
 ''The great railway systems recognize the necessity of planting some quick r.O Oxtripo in, to insure a supply of crossties which are even now exceedingly difficult to procure and are growing scarcer every year. This work is being done under the direction of the International Society of Arboricul- ture. of which Gen. William J. Palmer Is president.
 "The Illinois Central, Louisville and Nashville, the Southern railway and sev- eral other lines are planting many thou sands of acres with catalpa tree re- markable for its phenomenally rapid growth--one to two inches increase in diameter each year, ten times as great an increase as yellow pine or white oak. An other characteristic of the catalpa Is it's extreme durability. Trees were exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase exposition at St. Louis, which had been in the track of four railways for thirty-two years. The wood Is susceptible to a very high polish and can be carved, making excel lent furniture material. Paper and wood pulp are also made from this tree.
 Alabama, Georgia and Florida are ideal locations for the growth of the cat alpa. prefer, however, the northern va riety. speciosa, and not the tree which is indigenous to the southern states
 ''The use of timbers In Alabama mines makes a very large demand on the for ests, and in places this is difficult to ob- tain. The catalpa Is especially suited for mine tmbers, and will grow over the mines and in the vicinity so as to avoid distant transportation.
 "The Louisville and Nashville railroad has purchased 1000 acres of land at Car neys, Ala, which is being planted with catalpa. Other tracts have been planted near Selma and near Pensacola, Fla. All of these plants are growing well. It has not been definitely decided where the Southern railway will plant, nor how much acreage will be used but very prob ably several thousand acres.
 The catalpa is native of Indiana and