By LYT WOOD

By LYT WOOD

County FureM«*r

Our native black locust trees have had a "blighted” appearance for the past three years or so. Many people have expressed concern that the trees will “die off," following the route of American chestnuts, which were once common dominant trees in this area. While a massive die-off of black locusts would not have the fundamental ecological impact of the American chestnut blight, the impact would be far greater than mere temporary eye-sores on our mountain slopes.

Locusts are legumes, like peas and alfalfa (all belong to the same plant family), and are able to “fix” nitrogen from the air, thus enriching the soil. These trees are among the first to seed in to eroded slopes, abandoned fields, burned-over hillsides, and other disturbed areas.

Locust seedlings and sprouts grow vigorously. Young open-grown trees are sometimes called “white locusts" since the juvenile plant stems are composed mainly of light-colored sapwood. As the tree matures and slows down in growth, it develops a greater proportion of dark-colored heartwood. with only a thin outer ring of sapwood.

CenTel Buys

Company

Agreement in principle has been reached for Central Telephone & Utilities Corporation to acquire Peninsula Communications, Incorporated, a Tampa, Florida, distributor of business communications equipment.

The announcement was made jointly by Sam Bullara, president of Peninsula Communications, and Robert P. Reuss, CTU chairman. Terms of the cash transaction, expected to be completed in January, were not disclosed.

Peninsula Communications , installs and maintains business communications systems and auxiliary equipment in the Tampa Bay area and west and central Florida.

Central Telephone & Utilities operates the nation's fifth largest telephone system, including Central Telephone Company of , Virginia. Its subsidiaries also * own cable-TV systems and other business communications equipment distributors.