St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-22
THE WHITE WILLOW.
An Article. on the Subj ect by r.
Sykes, Lyon County, Iowa.

An Article on tho S ubje ct by r.
Sykes, Lyon County, Iowa.
1.-THE white willow on the prairie is
probably harder and more rapid
grower than any other tree. No tree is
more easily raised. 1t may be termed
the pioneer" tree OF the prairie, and it
is quite certain that many less hardy
kinds of trees will fail TO grow except
under the protection such as willow. in
the form of a hedge or windbreak, offers.
At hardwood, To-, within four miles
of the boundary line between, Mime
sofa, Dakota and Iowa, there are sew
erai miles of white willow hedges from
thirty feet to fifty feet in height. which
were planted twelve to eighteen years
ago. Their influence upon the crops in
that district is marvellous; affOrding as
they do shelter from the cold north
winds, and what is still more important.
from the hot south winds. AS soon as
the farms of South and North Dakota
are surrounded with such hedges the
searching effect of the hot winds will
be mOdi lied, and the blizzard will cease
TO be a terror.
The following is fair estimate of the
expense of planting and cutivating
willow hedge around quarter section
farm: Seven thousand willow cuttings
freight included), SO: blowing and pre-
pairing strip of land twelve feet wide
and two miles long, $50; subsequent
cultivation, $50; total, 800. Thus. at the
end of five years, for an average annual
outlay of 50. the owner has two miles of
living fence twelve feet high, which
will turn stock. and which has cost him
the moderate sum of IA cents per rod.
Moreover, he has increased the market
able value of his land by at least 50 per
acre.
AS the hedge grows. spare stakes may
be cut out and made into two or more
fence posts. If cut at the proper season
and stripped of the bark these fence
posts will last five or six years. Birds
will soon be attracted by the hedges
and trees. and will prey upon the noX-
ious insects. Moisture will be retained
in the atmosphere and in the soil, thus
affecting favorably both climate and
rainfall of the district. The periadical
trimmings of the groves will supply the
fuel which the family of the settler SO
much needs.
six feet to ten feet in length and aver
aging about two inches i'm diameter,
may be utilized in the following man.
ner: The poles should be cut in Octo-
Der or November, when the weather is
not frosty, and, the laterals having been
trimmed Off. should be covered lightly
with straw to prevent them becoming
too dry.
These poles should be laid length
ways, so as to form line, with the ends
touching each other, in dead furrow,
which should be 10 to IL inches in
depth. The earth should then be turned
over them with pillow. In the spring,
about seeding time. the earth should be
hoed away at regular intervals of IS
inches to 2 feet along the row of willow
poles. At these intervals the poles will
sprOut, and, under favorable circum-
feet the first season. When the sprouts
are 10 to IL inches high they should be
cultivated.
Another mode is from cuttings and. Is
more economical method in districts
where the poles cannot be readily pro-
cured. The cuttings, eight or nine
inches in length and about three-eighths
to One-quarter of an inch in diameter,
should be cut between the months of
October and December, or in the month
of March, but not during frosty wealth
er. They should be planted either in
the fall of the year or in the early
spring in the following manner: A
strip of land twelve feet in width hav-
ing been thoroughly prepared, the cut
tings should be set eighteen inches
apart in straight furrow running up
the center of the strip toward the land
side. The furrow should have been
plowed at least six or eight inches deep.
1t is not necessary to set the cut
tingS erect, as they grow equally as
well at an angle of fOrty-five degrees.
They should then be covered by plow-
ing another furrow. The earth should
afterwards be pressed with the foot
firmly around them, care being taken
thatmore than not one inch of the length
of any of the cuttings shall show above
ground. If it is necessary to keep the
cuttings until spring they should be
tied i'm bundles and buried one or two
feet deep in dry soil, or else covered
with hay or straw. They should be
planted as early as possible in spring,
good soaking in water before planting
being desirable, unless the earth is quite
moist. Cuttings for spring planting
may he prepared during the warm days
of winter and packed in damp hay or
straw.
The strip of land. or fire. break. on the
side of the hedge should be plowed each
year, and the young hedge should be
cultivated twice each year. Should the
fire reach the hedge in spite of the fire.
break, the hedge will not be destroyed
If apparently reduced to ashes it will
spring again from the roots. A willow
hedge once planted is not easily de-
stroyed.
The willow, as forest tree. is profita-
BILE to raise. AS such it may be
planted either 3X3 feet, requiring 4.s4O
cuttings to the acre, or AKA feet, requlr-
ing 2.702 cuttings. If planted 3X3 feet.
the young trees should at the end of
four or five years be thinned out to
quarter of their number. and at the end
of twelve years they should be/reduced
to 300 trees, leaving them space for full
development. which they should attain
at about thirty-six years. reaching the
height of sixty feet and measuring ten
feet in circumfere nee, four feet from
the ground. The wood of the white
willow is very light and tough and
takes a good finish. 1t is useful for
planking and for brake blocks OH cars.