The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-05-26

Tree Growing from Cuttings.
Timber, shade, shelter, wind breaks
and fuel are more readily grown from
those trees multiplied by cuttings than
In any other way. The varieties thus
multiplied from cuttings are all soft,
rapidly growing woods Those with
which we are acquainted are the willow,
cottonwood, Lombardy poplar, balm of
Gllead, linn or Eastwood, etc. OF these
we reject the balm of Gilead because Of
Its sprouting from the roots. The bass
wood we esteem highly, but have had
no experience with it grown from cut
tings.
The willow, Lombardy poplar and cot
tonwood-to the manor born-have made
the greatest success in the prairie States.
We regard the success of even these as
best attained when the cuttings are set
in soil well rotted and in fine tilth, with
the weeds kept down by mulching or
cultivation the first year or so. After
they get well rooted they viii look out
for themselves. Cuttings of either
should be set in nursery style-about
ten inches apart insthe row, rows about
two feet apart, and when one or two
years thus grown transplanted as care
fully as fruit tree to their appointed
place.
The best soil for the poplar is any
good, dry soil. 1t is not particular,
fiourishing alike upon dry sands or the
richest corn land or river bottoms. This
is also true of the cottonwood growing
not only from the cutting, but from its
seeds, distributed everywhere by the
winds and growing everywhere that
they can get a foOthold, if the consuming
prairie fires are kept away. The cotton
wood well deserves greater encourage
ment than it receives. It has as much
value as a tree, standing upon the earth,
affording shade, shelter, protection in
winter and amehorating influence upon
climate, as the highly esteemed walnut
or hickory. Its wood has some little
value also for fuel.
The willow is also adapted to a wide
range of soil. Its wood is more valua-
Bile for fuel than either of the others,
making valuable charcoal. The tree
in all its varieties is thoroughly well
adapted to swamp or slough grounds.
There is scarcely farm in the prairie
States but has enough of low ground,
perhaps now waste, from which to grow
fuel and stakes, poles, etc., for
the use of the farm. Suppose we
tell how this may be readily done.
The grass sward of slough is very
difficult to subdue. Do not undertake
it. Having supply of willow cuttings,
from two to three years grown in the
nursery, begin the preparation of your
ground for their reception. Give your
slough sward a dressing of strawy ma
nure, straw, or spoiled hay, sufficient to
kill the sod. This may be done to best
advantage in August or early September.
The sward will be considerably rotted
by the next spring. If the trees are to
stand in rows, the mulch should be APP
piled in rows, and to the space designed
to be occupied by the trees-say to the
width of six feet, Use care in taking
up the young willows to preserve the
roots uniniured, that they may make a
strong and rapid growth from the start.
Give them a mulching of manure SUI
ficient to keep down the grass for year
or two, and in that time your willows
will make a growth that will astonish
you. They flourish best upon a rich
moist soil. Grass-a stiff grass sod
will kill them, however, as it will nearly
all trees. But with the grass smothered
by mulch for few months, their shade
will be equal to smothering in turn the
most tenacious grasses, and the willow
| will be master of the situation. 1t then
ceases to be an object of care, and be-
comes a source of profit. This is the
course with all farm crops.
The willow, cottonwood, Lomb ardy
poplar and various other trees may in like
manner be cultivated successfully upon
upland. The chief drawback is danger
by fire in wild prairie countries.
We would not be understood as recon-
mending the cultivation of soft woods
over the more valuable. They must all
] be multiplied or we -3Ssst learn to do
without them. But we regard the fast
growing, easily multiplied and started
varities produced from cuttings as very
useful, and when the question of an i'm
mediate supply is under consideration,
as being greatly preferable to the slow
growing varieties. The well-planned
store, brick or even wood house is great
ly preferable to the tent, and yet the
tent answers as a shelter while the others
are being produced.
The willow may be shorn of its bran
ches like the pie-plant, every fewyears,
having a care not to cut below the head
or part from which the branches spring;
more will come. We have mailed tnous-
ands of cuttings to Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, where they are giving the great
est satisfactfon.-W II. Gardner, in
Chicago Weekly Herald.