ECONOMIC USES. 



The wood of the white willow is very soft, light, flexible, and fairly 

 strong. It is used in slack cooperage and for cricket and baseball 

 bats. Charcoal made from the wood is used in the manufacture of 

 gunpowder. Willow is fairly durable in contact with the soil and, 

 because of scarcity of better material, it has been generally used for 

 fence posts on the northwestern plains. Well-seasoned posts will last 

 from four to seven years. 



The white willow, so called, has been planted extensively in Iowa, 

 Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The species 

 generally planted in Minnesota and the Dakotas has been the Salix 

 fragilis, which has proven itself to be well adapted to this region. 

 This tree is quite as useful as the true white willow, and may be used 

 as a substitute for it. 



The rapid growth, hardiness, and profuse branching habit of the 

 white wallow make it valuable for windbreak planting. In regions 

 where timber is scarce its chief use is for fuel. Although it does not 

 grow as rapidly as cottonwood, its fuel value is somewhat greater. 

 On moist bottom land a plantation will produce from 2 to 3 cords of 

 wood per acre annually. 



The white willow is well adapted for reclaiming and holding the 

 soil along streams. The facility with which it reproduces itself and 

 the ease with which it can be propagated make its use very effective 

 and inexpensive. The planting of this tree along irrigation ditches, 

 however, is not advisable because the roots mingle freely with the 

 water, and thus retard the flow and interfere with the maintenance 

 of the ditches. 



METHODS OF PROPAGATION. 



In its natural range the white willow is reproduced largely from 

 seed. The common and least expensive method of propagation is 

 by cuttings. These may be of any convenient size ; even branches or 

 poles large enough for posts may be used. However, cuttings 8 to 10 

 inches long from twigs about three-fourths of an inch in diameter 

 are most suitable for general purposes. Clean 2-year-old branches or 

 strong, well-ripened 1-year-old twigs from healthy, vigorous trees 

 should be selected for the cuttings. It is better to make cuttings in 

 the fall, after growth ceases, and to keep them buried in a cool cellar 

 or in well-drained soil until the following spring. Cuttings can also 

 be successfully rooted if made before growth starts in the spring. 



The tree sprouts freely from the stump. This characteristic fur- 

 nishes the best means of perpetuating a plantation for posts or fuel. 

 The young shoots grow from the stump with such vigor that the sec- 



[Cir. 87] 



