Wilbur Reed Matoon

“ The planting of black locust involves a risk of some damage and, in some localities, of serious loss because of the locust borer. In this connection too much emphasis cannot be laid upon the desirability of getting the advice of the State forester, of the State forestry organization, or of the State extension forester who is connected with the agricultural extension service. By planting on good soils, by interplanting with other heavy-foliaged trees, or by moderate spacing and good cultivation, black locust can often be grown with fair to good success in insect-infested localities. ”

“ The best time for planting or setting locust seedlings is in early spring before the buds begin to swell. If set out late in the spring after leafing starts, the seedlings should be cut back nearly to the ground. In loose soils locusts may be planted in the fall after good rains have wet the ground to a considerable depth. Fall planting is dangerous in all tight soils because of probable injury from frost heaving.
Seedlings with small spindling or threadlike taproots, or culls, probably come from undersized or weak seeds and even in good soil will not make satisfactory growth. ”

“ As black locust is a vigorously sprouting species, it is good practice to cut clean slow-growing, stunted young trees up to 3 to 6 years of age. If this is done, preferably in the dormant season, the result should be vigorous sprouts that will be much freer of insect attack. The colonies of sprouts should be reduced to a single tree; midsummer is the best time for the cutting, as sprouting is then least vigorous. ”

“ Occasionally a landowner objects to putting black locust on his place because he has heard that it is difficult to get rid of it. A sure and simple way to do this is to cut all the locust trees preferably in the spring and turn cattle, sheep, or goats on the land. They will browse the sprouts and kill out all the locusts. ”

“ In advance of planting, the soil should be well prepared. Many failures or near failures can be traced directly to planting locust seedlings in hard ground. In abandoned fields it will usually not be difficult or costly to break the ground and disk or harrow it. Then it should be laid off in furrows with the desired spacing. If it is not practical to break all the ground by plowing, a good planting bed should be prepared by plowing at least two furrows running in the same direction. ”

“ In many localities, however, black locust is extensively grown with fair to good success and profit as the insects, although present, are not a serious pest. The recent extensive developments by State and Federal agencies in the checking of soil erosion have resulted since 1933 in the greatest known era of growing and planting black locust seedlings. ”

“ Figure 1.—Growing alone in the open, black locust makes a well-shaped tree with branches that droop at the ends. It is handsome when in full bloom. In certain regions the climate seems to be unfavorable for the growth of locust. ”

“ Pruning early is a very important aid in producing a straight clean trunk. In midsummer of the second growing season after planting the one straightest and strongest central stem should be freed to grow singly by cutting off all other competing or framework stems. It is a great mistake to cut off the many weak laterals that will never compete as a central stem but are valuable in supporting the foliage and therefore furnish food for the growth of the main trunk. ”

“ A dense growth of locust growing in deep, fertile soil well supplied with moisture, or locust trees with trunks shaded by slower growing heavy-foliaged species of trees as a rule are found to be thriftier and less subject to infestation.
(6) Protect young black locust from all grazing by livestock. It is a legume and palatable at all times of the year, and subject to heavy browsing, particularly in the dormant season, when green foliage is absent. Cattle and horses, as well as sheep and goats, browse freely on the locust twigs and branches and often break down young trees. ”

“ Vigorous growing trees might well be shaped by pruning in the first season, and conversely slow developing trees might not need pruning until their third year. Early and repeated pruning is to be favored and will pay well in developing straight post or pole timber. A second pruning will usually be required from 1 to 3 years after the first pruning. The character of growth will determine whether later pruning becomes necessary. ”

“ This favors more rapid growth, which in turn reduces the menace of the black locust borer and twig borer. Black locust is a sun-loving tree which produces only a light shade, offering insufficient shade for retaining good soil moisture. In regions where the borers are not a serious pest and in good-quality soils where growth will likely be rapid, plantings of locust alone will often give satisfactory results. ”

“ Locust plantations have been started with wild or dugup sprouts, but the method usually requires considerable labor and is relatively slow and costly. However, it saves 1 year over the method of raising seedlings in nursery beds. It is an easy matter to sow the seed in a garden or nursery bed and after one season have a supply of vigorous seedlings ready for planting. If seedlings are not available for purchase at a fair price, growing one's own seedlings will be the most satisfactory method of obtaining a supply. ”

“ In any event, a prime factor for good planting stock is a medium top and well-developed taproot like a long radish in shape. All seedlings with slender taproots may be regarded as culls, particularly if the tops are over 8 to 12 inches in length. If seedlings are 3 feet or more, they can be set with or without cutting back the tops. One-year-old seedlings are universally used, as 2-year stock is practically always too large to handle economically. ”

“ Early spring is a favorable time for seed sowing in order to take advantage of the better soil moisture—an important requirement for good germination. One method is to sow seed in drills 4 feet long, spaced 6 inches apart and running across the bed, to allow for hoe cultivation. The seeds may be sown about one-fourth inch apart with the expectation of obtaining germination and growth sufficient to get good seedlings every 2 inches apart. ”

“ The black locust produces good seed in abundance. It also sprouts vigorously after being cut or killed back by fire. Thus, it is easy both to start a tract of young trees and to get another generation of trees following cutting. Planting is most likely to succeed when done with 1-year-old seedlings grown from seed. Direct seeding of the land where trees are desired should not be attempted. The seeds do not germinate freely without attention. ”

“ After the young trees reach a height of 8 feet or so everything should be done to encourage volunteer growth. Weeds and low vines often afford such a desirable ground cover. The Japanese honeysuckle vine is often seen growing with black locust trees and almost always affording a beneficial ground cover. Contrary to a misconception, it rarely harms a tree by getting into the foliage. ”

“ Open-spaced trees grow more rapidly in diameter than closely grown trees. Where the soil and climate are favorable the growth should average from 2 to 4 feet in height a year and from one-quarter to one-half inch a year in diameter after the first few years.
Under such conditions it grows rapidly and yields fence posts in 10 to 20 years. In poor, very acid, or dense soils, including subsoils in borrow pits and on badly eroding slopes where locust often spreads naturally, growth is usually slow. ”

“ The digging, or lifting, and all subsequent handling of locust planting stock require special care. The soil about the roots should be loosened with a spade, in small operations, or with a plow or special digging machine if the nursery is more extensive. The tops and larger roots should not be bruised or otherwise injured. It is almost always necessary to prune the taproots in addition to the slight pruning or breaking of the roots inevitable in the process of digging. Ten inches in length is about the maximum for taproots. ”

“ The green portion, or chlorenchyma, has been eaten by an insect known as a locust leaf miner. The most common species in the Eastern States is a sawfly (Odontota dorsalis) but there are known to be one or more closely related insects that mine the green in the leaves. The effect is to retard the growth of the tree slightly, but nothing more serious. It is not practicable to attempt to check the insect. ”

“ The trees from the second growth or sprout crop, will grow faster and can be harvested at least 5 years sooner than those of the original seedling crop. They are usually less subject to insect attack than trees of seedling origin. To cut the crop of trees would often prove a good, means of renewing badly infested stands of black locust. ”

“ It is only the heartwood of black locust that is extremely durable in contact with soil. The sapwood decays more rapidly. It is usually very narrow, consisting of only the last three or four rings of new wood. For use as posts or poles, therefore, trees should preferably not be cut at such an early age or in such small sizes that a considerable portion of the wood is sapwood. By the time the tree is 6 to 8 inches in diameter on the stump it usually has enough heartwood to warrant cutting. ”

“ As soon as the seed begin to germinate it is very necessary to remove most of the mulch. This method of late sowing is often used where watering equipment is available to force the growth during dry spells. Otherwise the spring sowing is often best to take advantage of the spring moisture. Heavy watering during the season is usually inadvisable because it results in too large seedlings. A desirable size of seedling is from 12 to 18 inches in height. ”

“ Planting is done by holding the tree in a normal position while carefully drawing in the soil around and over the roots. The soil should always be well firmed with the foot about the tree, and preferably some loose litter should be spread over the surface as a mulch. ”

“ Closely related is the effect of severe drought in lessening the vitality of black locust trees to a point where the borer readily overcomes the weakened resistance of the trees and severely injures or kills them. ”

“ The earliest extensive plantings for checking erosion are to be found in the brown or loessial silt loam soils over western Tennessee. Since 1914, in cooperation with landowners, the State forest service has assisted in the reforesting of several thousand acres. These landowners became demonstrators in stopping soil washing and gullying. ”

“ Addresses of commercial dealers handling seed or seedlings can be obtained on request from various State forestry agencies or the Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
COLLECTING AND CLEANING SEED
The seed of black locust ripens in pods in the early fall, and much of it often remains on the tree. The pods are collected preferably in the fall or early winter and during dry weather. Afterward there is a continuing loss of seed from the pods. Hand picking from a stepladder or short ladder is a common method. ”

“ For example, in parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana which are generally supposed to be in the favorable range of black locust, there have been conflicting reports regarding the success and profit in growing black locust. ”

“ Black locust is generally recommended for planting from southern New England through New York and Pennsylvania, south to Georgia, and west as far as Illinois, Missouri, and Texas. Limestone soils and the brown loams and other well-drained areas in the lowlands of the central Mississippi Valley are particularly favorable for its rapid growth. Black locust has spread over the Arkansas-Missouri-Oklahoma uplands. ”

“ Under fair conditions, on an average, a man may collect about 2 pounds of pods per hour, or 14 to 20 pounds per day, which should yield from 3 to 5 pounds of clean seed. Scant data are available on the cost of extracting and cleaning black locust seed, but in fair-sized operations it should not cost over 3 cents
Figure 6.—Nursery beds of 1-season-old black locust seedlings. Small trees ranging in height from 12 to 18 inches and having taproots shaped like long slender radishes are most desirable for planting. ”