Black locust

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ A prime essential for success in planting black locust seedlings is to break up or prepare the ground well. Pines may be set in firm soil; but to be successful, locust should be set in ground that has been well broken and worked to make a good plant bed. In such ground the lateral roots will find easy entrance and stimulate good top development. If planted in a small hole in hard though fertile soil, the locust may barely live for a year or more but seldom makes a normal growth. ”

“ Natural or volunteer trees of various local species may be expected to come into black locust stands. Because of the open, light shade such stands act as a good "nurse" and favor trees that start from seeds blown in or dropped there by birds or animals. ”

“ TREES PRODUCING WOOD that is durable when used in the ground are in special demand. Among the few native trees of this kind the black locust ranks very high. It is much in demand for use as fence posts, stakes, and poles. Black locust has a strong, spreading root system which makes it of much value in checking erosion. Probably no other forest tree is being planted so extensively for erosion control. It is a legume, which in part accounts for its power of growth in lean soils and makes it an outstanding soil builder. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Exceptionally large and healthy specimens of the black locust tree are sometimes found growing as a part of the native arboreal flora, their, at least partial, immunity from insect injury doubtless being due to local causes, some of which are obvious and some obscure. For example, some of the best American specimens of the tree are found to have grown in, or around, cattle-pens, barnyards or other farmstead inclosures where domestic animals are gathered, the conditions of which places are known to be favorable to the tree, and they are apparently unfavorable to the insects. ”

“ It spreads by underground shoots and is useful for holding and reclaiming badly gullied lands. The usefulness of the black locust is, however, very greatly limited by the fact that it is subject to great damage from an insect known as the locust borer. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ On the drier and poorer soils, the black oak may be considered because it is relatively hardy, although the timber product is of low grade. In connection with planting black locust, some conifers should be considered for planting pure in small blocks or patches because they will grow well on relatively dry and sterile soils not adapted to black locust. ”

“ The name Locust applies to species of three distinct genera, all of which belong to the family Leguminosæ. The black locust (Robinia pseudacacia) , the honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) , and the Mesquite or honey locust (Prosopis juliflora) are principal representatives of their respective kinds. The first-named genus is North American, the other two have species on both continents.
BLACK LOCUST (Robinia pseudacacia) .
Black locust wood is tough, durable, unequalled for torsional strength and resilience, and is in every way in the first rank of American woods. ”

“ Black locust requires deep, well-drained, moist soil for good growth. It grows indifferently to poorly on well-drained, dry sites. Of late years it has been severely damaged by the locust borer and is no longer recommended for planting in pure stands.
BLACK LOCUST (Leaf and fruit, one-third natural size; twig, two-thirds natural size)
The twigs and branchlets are armed with paired, straight or slightly curved, sharp, strong spines, sometimes as much as 1 inch in length, which remain attached to the outer bark for many years. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The wood of the honey locust resembles that of the black locust, but is seldom used or appreciated save for fencing and similarly unimportant purposes. Trees grow rapidly and are not subject to the attacks of insects, so that they frequently attain to normal proportions. The flowers are much smaller than those of the black locust, but the pods are several times as long (twelve to eighteen inches) . These often curl in drying and are thus rolled to some distance by the wind. Thorns or spines are present on some individuals and are often from three to six inches in length. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Great damage is sometimes done to the black locust tree by the two insect species first mentioned, but usually their depredations are so much less disastrous than are those of the tree borer that, for only the present occasion the two former species may be regarded as negligible and only the latter need be specially noticed. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The increasing scarcity of chestnut for posts, poles, and stakes has done much to stimulate interest in the possibilities of growing black locusts for those uses. The expansion of the livestock business, including dairying, calls for greater numbers and better kinds of posts. ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The locust seems to be popular and is not only planted around every station on the railway but around all the dwelling houses, farm houses and the cottages in the villages along the way. The farm houses look like timber claims in our Western states, and all the trees are locusts. There are a good many orchards and the quince and apple trees were in bloom when we made our journey. They seem to be well trimmed and cared for. ”

“ They were not so, however, for on the mountains outside Kabul we saw myriads of the young locusts about the size of black ants hopping about in the warm sand. This was one of their breeding establishments where the eggs are hatched. The life-history of the locust may be looked upon as an interesting study in colour, for when he is a babe he is black, as a youth he is pink, and in adult age green. Two and a-half inches is his length, but he looks longer: he is all legs and wings. As a creature that crawls I object to him. ”

“ In the Transvaal, however, members of the Raad have enunciated the opinion that it is impious to seek to destroy Locusts, which are a scourge sent by the Almighty.
The disease-fungus is not the only natural enemy to the Locust. A correspondent has been recently writing about these insects in 'South Africa.' He describes their most formidable enemies in the Orange Free State as those well-known birds the Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola melanoptera, the White Stork, Ciconia alba, the Wattled Starling, Dilophus carunculatus, and the Lesser Kestrel, Cerchneis tinnunculoides. ”

“ The Locust mother is not a model of affection.
Others do not forsake their eggs so recklessly. I can name the ordinary Locust with the blue wings striped with black (Œdipoda cœrulescens, Lin.) ; also Pachytylus nigrofasciatus, De Geer, whose cognomen lacks point, for it ought to suggest either the malachite-green patches of the costume or the white cross of the corselet.
Both, when laying their eggs, adopt the [382] same attitude as the Italian Locust. The abdomen is driven perpendicularly into the soil; the rest of the body partly disappears under the sliding sand. ”

“ Sixteen or more species belong to this genus, prosopis, of which one other, the screw-pod mesquite (Prosopis odorata) , is found in the United States. [p077]
FOOTNOTES
[45] Three of the four United States species are trees; the other species of this genus grow in Mexico. No one is approximately as important or well known as the Black Locust.
[46] Black Locust was introduced into Europe early in the seventeenth century, being first cultivated by the son of Jean Robin, for whom the genus is named. Few American species have received such attention abroad. ”