Black locust is seldom found and should not be planted in very sandy, very dry, very poor, very acid, or poorly drained soils. It grows best on alkaline, nonacid, or moderately acid soils (fig. 1). In its ability to grow on good soils in well-drained locations, such as banks and hillsides, black locust ranks high among the native trees.
USES OF THE WOOD
The wood is heavy, hard, and very durable. For durability in the ground the wood ranks higher than that of all other native trees except Osage-orange or bois d'arc ("bow-dark"). It is extensively used for fence posts, the heartwood lasting from 15 to 30 years and sometimes more than 50 years. The heartwood of young trees, however, seems to be less durable than that of older trees, and it should always be well seasoned before being used. Locust is also used for grape stakes, poles, insulator pins, and treenails for shipbuilding. The trunk is nearly all heartwood, which is formed comparatively early in the life of the tree. It is good practice to peel the bark before using the wood for posts or poles (figs. 2 and 3).
Figure 3.—Black locust is in good demand for use in making fence posts, stakes, insulator pins, and treenails.
BLACK LOCUST FOR CHECKING EROSION
Black locust is widely recognized as a tree of exceptional value for checking soil erosion and washing and for that purpose has come to be used extensively in many regions. It is often seen growing naturally on steep banks along roadsides or railroad cuts and fills.
