produced in masses, and you get quite a bit of weight in some of those
thick-backed pods that you don't get from the thin pods that grow
normally on seedling trees. The TVA has done quite a bit of work in
selecting and developing the honeylocust, and I believe we give that
particular organization credit for the development of both the Millwood
and the Calhoun.

I thought it would be very valuable to give you just a glimpse of the
habit of growth of those trees before I start with my general discussion
so that you would understand something about what I am talking about.

Mr. Weber: Are these thornless?

Mr. Moore: These are thornless honeylocusts. The original parent trees
of the Millwood and Calhoun had thorns. By vegetative propagation--they
went out and cut scionwood on the limbs above the thorns and propagated
the thornless twigs on thornless root stock--we now have a thornless
honeylocust.

There has been quite a bit of disturbance in Alabama, especially in the
northern part of the state, caused by native honeylocust. We have two or
three characteristics that I think ought to be brought out about
honeylocust. Some of out trees in the northern part of the state of
Alabama have triple thorns. It is known as _G. triacanthos_ and the
"tri-" part of that particular word, of course, gives us an idea of
three thorns, and I have seen thorns at least 12 inches long that you
could catch in your hand and use for a dagger, and it would be very
dangerous. Now, some of those trees growing in the northern part of the
state are very serious pests in pastures. Cows and horses and hogs are
very fond of those lucious pods, and they will go around the trees and
pick up every pod that falls, and occasionally a horse or cow will get
close enough to the trunk of the tree and get speared with those thorns,
and when the thorn pierces the skin there is a little tip on the end
that breaks off and is left inside. When the usual infection that it
carries get started from the part of the thorn that is left in the
flesh, you get pus and, of course, later on the amputation of the leg,
if it happens to be in the leg, of the horse. With the thornless type
that is completely eliminated.

Then this other thing that I think ought to be brought out, the
thornless or near-thornless type as a general rule has a better quality
of pods than the ones with the long thorns. Now, it is true that the
parent seedling trees of the Calhoun and the Millwood