716 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



the duration of the usual rotation. The long, round, peeled trunks of 

 these trees are then just what are needed for beams and rafters in 

 the houses and for narrow boards. There is great economy of space 

 in growing the timber in these long, narrow, closely spaced rows, the 

 crowns being kept trimmed high enough to be out of the way and 

 the trimming also preventing the formation of large knots on the 

 stem as well as furnishing valuable fuel for the bakeoven in the form 

 of leaves and small branches. The timber when grown in this manner 

 is also close to the home of the owner and so is easily protected. The 

 irrigation ditch usually is really carrying the water for some other 

 purpose, but is used for the timber as it passes by. After cutting, 

 the reproduction by coppice is allowed to grow and is thinned out as 

 needed to conform to the general plan of the system. Altogether the 

 plan of management is surprisingly efiticient and economical. 



2. Willow. The willows are used for three special purposes for the 

 most part. First, as shade trees planted in rows along the sides of the 

 roads and streets, not planted for the purposes of shade primarily, 

 but serving the purpose just the same. Second, as cheap fuel and 

 wood for charcoal. Third, for pipes, the hollowed stem being some- 

 times used to carry water down from the irrigation ditches to the little 

 horizontal waterwheels in the mills, and as little water bridges to 

 carry the stream of one ditch over another ditch. The method used 

 in producing this wood is almost as efficient as that used in growing 

 poplar. Stakes of willow, freshly cut and 10 or 15 feet long, are 

 stuck into the ground about 20 feet apart in a row on each side of 

 the road or street. The bark being left on and water being run along 

 the gutter periodically to water them, the sticks take root below and 

 sprout in a sort of broom above. In three years the branches are 

 cut off close to the trunk — they all come out close together near the 

 top of the stick — leaving the stem bare. The branchwood is sold for 

 fuel and the following spring new sprouts appear where the old ones 

 were cut off and for three years more shade the road before being 

 cut again. As time goes on the trunk keeps growing in size and when 

 large enough and hollow, as they often become, are available for pipes, 

 although this use is only occasional, the usual practice being to continue 

 the pollarding indefinitely. 



3. Plane. The oriental plane trees supplies the country with its 

 common hardwood but owing to its high cost, little of it is used. It 

 is grown under the same system as that used for the poplar but is 



