The Grit-advocate., 1905-02-03
THE FARM AND RANGE
Still Booming the CataIpa.

Still Booming the Cataipa.
is the most valuable tree in the United
States. This is broad statement, but
viewed in any light We may it stands
abreast with any tree and in some Of
the most important respects ahead Of
all others. says W. G. NJ. Stone. presi-
dent of the Colorado State Forestry
Association, in Field and Farm. In
the matter OF durability catalpa rails
and fence posts have been known to
last more than eighty years. At the
ct. Louis exposition were telegraph
poles and railroad ties that had stood
the wear of time and use over thirty
years. No other Tree in this country
has ever made such record.
AS structural timber IL is the peer
Of any tree. Barney and Smith, car
builders f. Dayton. Ohio. say it will
bend better than ash; and when a
round post, three and one-half inches
in diameter is made absolutely secure
with two feet projecting beyond the
fastening will bear force Of ten tons
as to its strength in structural work
What other timber will bear u strain
like this? 1t is good for paper pulp
The paper OF the July issue of Arbori-
culture was made from catalpa manu-
factured into pulp for that very pur-
pose. 1t is the only experiment of the
kind ever made. Although ton of
the paper did not make quite as many
do <NF In, Il tfe,
growth is so much more rapid and the
fiber so much finer the difference
would be likely to be in its favor.
Again, 1t is elegant for cabinet work.
In the forestry building at St. Louis
saw furniture and inside finishing fine
enough for palace and section of a
railroad coach, inlaid with hollywood
fit for king. The color and grain Of
the wood are more beautiful than
either black walnut or wild cherry. 1t
takes delicate stains equal to oak.
The catalpa is a rare tree. For dura-
bility it has no equal; f.. strength and
elasticity it is without rival; for del
icacy and beauty of grain and finish it
is fit for royalty. From wood pulp of
superior quality to a Pullman car is
path no other tree can tread. Its
product would find a quicker market
than wheat or alfalfa and would never
perish in transit by heat or cold like
apples or potatoes. And SO | say with
out hesitation that for utility the ca
talpa is the coming tree for American
sylvaculture.
A dozen or more years ago Mr..
Yaggy of Lake Forest, Illinois, pur-
chased 1,500acres near Hutchinson and
Arkansas river near Hutchinson and
upon this he planted 500 acres with ap-
pie orchards and on 800 he planted ca
talpa trees. The catalpas We're not all
planted at one time, beginning with
eighty acres as an experiment. See
ing the success of this, he continued
planting with increased confidence un-
til 500 acres were covered. The trees
were set in rows six feet apart with
four feet space between rows. Guilt
walton continued for about three years.
| when the shade became dense enough
, to prevent the growth of grass and
! weeds.
A few trees were cut out from time
to time, when fence posts were needed
| and later, as funds were required for
current expenses, others were sold.
but no systematic thinning was begun
until five years ago, when the earliest
planting demanding more space, alter
nately ten rows were removed and
three rows were left to check the force
of the wind. Eighteen hundred trees
were set on each acre, or almost mil
| lion in all. On another and larger
, tract alternate rows have been cut out
and made into fence posts. for which
| there is a great demand OF the 800
acres planted from ten to fifteen years
ago, the land cost $40 an acre, or
$4,000, while the sum received at
wholesale for the first thinning was
| considerably more than $30,000 or
! fifty per cent. more than the cost OF
| the land.