78 



The Farm Woodlot 



FIG. 21. Cottonwood (Populus del- 



toides) . 



In the northern part, 

 particularly on cut- 

 over and burned-over 

 forest land. The trees 

 of this group always 

 may be distinguished 

 by the leaves and fruit. 

 The leaves have their 

 petioles flattened at 

 right angles to the 

 blade of the leaf and 

 this causes them to 

 flutter in the slightest 

 breeze. They always 

 bloom in early spring 

 before the leaves are 

 out, and the seed is 

 ripe and ready for dis- 

 semination by the time 

 the leaves are about 

 fully developed. The 

 seed is widely scattered 

 by the little cotton 

 tuft to which it is at- 

 tached. This cotton is 

 borne only on the pis- 

 tillate tree, hence the 

 nuisance about the 

 farm and home may be 



entirely avoided by planting the staminate form. Al- 

 though the poplars grow well from seed, all of them grow 



