The Florida agriculturist., 1907-10-02
Growing Cata1pas for Posts.


exceed the supply in this state. But
long before that day the price Of
good light-wood posts will advance
to such height that some substitute
will be called for. Those who have
waste land will find it profitable to
grow fence posts. Wallace's Farmer
gives some directions for this business
which may be of use to you.
A correspondent from Cass county,
Illinois, writes us that he has an 8oo-
acre farm, the fences Of which will
need renewal in a few years, and asks
what we think Of the propr1ety of put
ting out five acres Of good land in
trees for fence posts, and particularly
asks about the propriety Of planting
hardy catalpa.
We have not the slightest hesitation
in advising him to plant out an acre
for each quarter section to some kind
Of good fence post timber. His case
is by no means peculiar. There is
scarcely quarter section farm in Our
whole prairie territory that would not
be improved to the value Of six dol
lars per acre if there was growing up
on it an acre of fence post timber
selected with reference to climate and
rainfall; III other words, made up Of
trees adapted to the locality.
We do not know of any better tree
on the whole that can be planted in
the southern half Of our territory, or
south Of the line of central Iowa, than
the hardy catalpa. At the same time
we do not advise it's planting by any
man who will not give some time and
study to the subject, and who will not
secure at any reasonable expense seed
or seedlings Of the genuine hardy
catalpa.
The natural range Of the hardy
catalpa is southern Illinois, southern
Indiana, western Kentucky and Ten
nessee, southeastern Missouri, and
northeastern Arkansas. The southern
variety, called catalpa bignonioides,
otherwise known as Catalpa- Catalpa,
belongs, to southwestern Georgia,
Florida, central Alabama, and Missis-
sippi; but growers have been in the
habit OF buying Catalpa seed in the
market and hence getting both varie-
ties. Therefore no man should under
beyond all question the catalpa speci-
Osa, commonly known as the hardy
catalpa. The best way is to gather
the seed yourself from we'll formed
catalpa trees growing in the neighbor-
hood, that have Wlthstood the test
winters of the last fifteen or twenty
years; or else secure them from some
nurSeryman who has gathered the
seed III this way or IN some other
way has secured the genuine hardy
catalpa. Where man can gather the
nursery row he had better do it, even
ii he thereby loses years time.
Hardy catalpa should not be planted
on poor land. It will not do we'll on
sandy land, nor on stiff clay soil, nor
on soils which have a tenacious gum
bo SubSOil, nor on alkah soils; nor
will it do well except with an annual
rainfall Of at least twenty-five inches.
The soil should be fall plowed and
the seed bed carefully prepared before
the trees are set out. Wherever the
farmer has the nerve to thin out at
about three years it will be cheaper
tor him to plant them AKA feet, in
which case two or three years cultl-
! vatlon at the most is all that will be
required. If he does not, and seed
hngs are scarce or high, then we
would plant them 6x8, and would
grow potatoes or something else be-
tween the rows the first two or three
years. The catalpa must have thor
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