Trees for Economic Planting 57 



The home of the true bat-making willow is in the Eastern 

 English counties, and it is there that the manufacturer 

 goes when wishing to purchase the most valuable timber 

 for his special work. The propagation of the bat-making 

 willow is simple, either by rooted cuttings or " sets," the 

 latter being the best and cheapest method. " Sets " are 

 usually from 12 to 20 ft. long, with a basal diameter of, say, 

 3 ins., the best being got from pollarded trees, and straight, 

 clean, branchless shoots are preferable. They should be 

 stripped of all side branches for about three-fourths of their 

 length and only cut in spring. By placing these sets to- 

 gether in a ditch or pond for about a month rootlets will be 

 emitted, when they may be planted in previously-prepared 

 holes, which are formed by driving an iron rod or stake in 

 the ground for a distance of, say, 2J ft. 



The Poplar. Several species of poplar are valuable for 

 the timber they produce, as also for their rapidity of growth 

 and succeeding in low-lying, damp ground. When clean 

 grown and of large size the timber sells readily at prices 

 which vary from Is. to Is. Gd. per ft. 



Probably the most valuable species is the white poplar 

 (Populus alba), though the black Italian (P. monilifera) pro- 

 duces excellent timber for which there is generally a demand. 



From a purely commercial point of view the above hard- 

 wooded trees are the only kinds that can be recommended 

 for planting in this country. The timber of the lime, horn- 

 beam, walnut and one or two others at times sells at a fair 

 price, but the small quantity offered shows that they have 

 not been considered worthy of attention where the economic 

 value of the plantations was being considered. 



CONIFEROUS TEEES 



Amongst the many conifers that have been introduced 

 to this country during the last century very few can be 

 recommended as suitable for profitable planting. The 

 following, so far as is known, are the only species to be 

 recommended : 



The Larch (Larix europcea). Both for and against the 

 larch much has been written and said, particularly of late 



