The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1882-03-24

| tIlt COtUOuWOOu duu w ulIo w lliOW
both of which grow rapidly from cut
tings. Mr.. Arthur Bryant, in his valua
BILE work on timber culture, recon-
mends the planting Of n wind-breal
eight rods in width on the north an,
west side of every quarter section o
land.
The best time to make COttOnwOO,
cuttings is in the spring, after the bud
begin to swell. They are made of tn
previous years growth, the length vary
ing from eight to twelve inches. TAX
small and vigorous branch in the lef
hand, top toward you, and with knif
in the other hand, cut them off the de
sired length with drawing cut
Methods of planting vary, In som,
cases where the soil is deep and rich
and it is saturated with water, the cut
tings can be thrust down into the sol
almost their entire length and they will
grow readily. A better plan is to take
cuttings twelve inches in length, soaE
them in water from one to two days
before planting, then plow straight
deep burrows four feet apart, place the
cuttings at regular intervals, press
some soil firmly against the lower pOr
ton OF each, and then with plOw turn
back the soil and cover them nearly OF
entirely up.
The young plants should be kept
clean by hoeing and cultivating for two
years, when good mulching of prairie
grass should be given them. If the
season is favorable they will attain a
growth of from six to eight feet. All
all events, plant in good soil and cult
vate well. Cuttings of the Cotton.
wood can usually be had of wholesale
nurserymen for one dollar per thousand
Cottonwood seedlings can be had OF
them very cheaply also. Trim up the
branches OF the young trees as high as
you can reach for four or five years, and
they will make tall, handsome trees. II
the land is fitted as for corn, and is
marked out four feet each way and set
with trees, there will be 2,722 to the
acre. If one year seedlings are plant
ed four feet one way and eight the other
1861 seedlings will be required to plant
an acre. Enough corn can be grown
between the eight-foOt rows, during the
first two years, to pay for the cultiva-
tion of the trees.
Five acres thus planted to Cotton
wood will, after seven years growth,
furnish one family with fuel for one
stove life time, and enough to sell to
pay for the use of land, and at the same
time serve the purpose of wind-break.
In one case, to my knowledge, a grove
of twO-year-old trees of this variety was
set liz 1867 at distance apart of 165
by 81 feet, making 1850 trees to the
acre. In 1S80-8l, when part of this
grove was cut, each tree averaged two
and a half cords, the entire product
being valued at 81 ,260 per acre.
The White Willow is another exceed
ingly hardy and rapid grower. A
friend i'll Nebraska writes that it excels
all others in these respects. He speaks
OF having grown, from one small cut
ting, in two years, a tree that measured
six and one fourth inches in diameter
ut the ground. Mr.. 0. b. Galusha
mentions a White Willow tree which
grew from cutting that had been
planted thirteen years that was two
feet and one inch in diameter at the
ground, and formed head, or top,
thirty feet across. He estimates that
the expense of growing ten acres of
such trees on land valued at $40 per
acre, and converting the same into
lumber, would not exceed SO per 1000
feet. Mr.. G. s. Harrison mentions one
tree grown in the vicinity 6 st. Paul,
twenty-five years of age, which meas
ured four feet and four inches in dia-
meter. He says that there is no better
material for hedge fencing ana for a
wind-break. The plan suggested for
making hedges of it is to cut stakes
six feet in length that are two inches in
thickness, then cut very narrow
trench two feet in depth, place the
stakes ten inches apart, pack the soil
firmly about them, and fasten the tops
with single wire, over which staples
are driven into the top of each stake.
In order to avoid the digging of a
trench many proceed as follows: Cut
off stakes five and one half feet in
length, make the holes with crow-bar,
and with sharp axe cut the butt so
that the. slope will all be ON one side,
and then drive them perpendicularly
eight inches apart in straight line in
a well-prepared fence row. Three-inch
laths nailed near the top will keep them
in line. If well cultivated during the
summer, and then mulched, only two
years time will be required to form a
fence that will turn stock.
The Cotton wood is the pioneer tree
of her plains, and will become more
and more welcome eastward as its
merits become known. 1t is tree that
readily adapts itself to new soils, and
is unexcelled for wind-breaks when the
Box Elder (Ash-leaved Maple), or some
other spreading or low-heading tree is
set on either side of it. The Box ED.
er grows from seeds, and not cuttings
1t makes a good storm shield when
planted alone, but the plan recommend
ed is best. 1t is tree that is compa'
ratively free from the attacks of in
sects, and is.a good substitute for the
hard Maple in yielding sap for the
manufacture of choice syrup. 1t IL
also a valuable tree for its timber. Fol
the purpose recommended, the Cotton
wood and the White Willow are un
surpassed. Next in the order of theil
popularity are the Box Elder (the Ash
leaved Maple), and the Soft Maple, boil
Of which are grown from the seed
The seed of the Box Elder can now b.
bought for fifty cents per pound, ant
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