266 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 



and smaller branches thick, smoother, but sharp angled or 

 winged, at length becoming round. When the leaves unfold 

 they are gummy and fragrant, with a balsamic odor, and covered 

 more or less with white soft hairs; at maturity they are thick, 

 leathery and green on both sides. Catkins pendulous; the 

 staminate densely flowered and from three to four inches in 

 length and a half inch in thickness; the pistillate sparsely flow- 

 ered, thin stemmed and often a foot long before the ripening of 

 the seeds. Stamens sixty or more to each flower. Seed oblong, 

 one-twelfth of an inch in length, and surrounded by a tuft of 

 long hairs, which aid in its distribution. Tree sometimes 100 

 feet high, with trunk occasionally seven or eight feet in diameter. 



Distribution. From Quebec south to Florida and west to the 

 base of the Rocky Mountains, from Alberta to New Mexico 

 along banks of streams, where it often forms extensive groves. 

 In Minnesota common in the southern part of the state, but rare 

 farther north. 



Propagation. By seeds and by cuttings. Seedlings can be 

 obtained in large quantities on the sand bars along our rivers and 

 on shores of receding lakes, and this is the chief source of sup- 

 ply. The opinion is common that seedlings are longer lived than 

 plants from cuttings. 



Properties of Wood. Light, soft, spongy and weak, although 

 close grained; dark brown, with thick nearly white sapwood. 

 * Specific gravity, 0.3889; weight of a cubic foot, 24.24 pounds. 



Uses. The Cottonwood has been largely used in the Western 

 States for timber and fuel, as a shade tree and for windbreaks. 

 For all these purposes it is a very inferior tree, but on account 

 of its abundance, rapid growth and hardiness it has almost neces- 

 sarily been largely used in the pioneer work of settlement. As 

 a timber tree it is inferior on account of its timber warping 

 badly in drying and being extremely difficult to season. As a 

 tree for shade and windbreaks it is not so valuable as the Green 

 Ash, White Willow, White Elm or Boxelder; on the dry prairie 

 it is subject to leaf rust, is short-lived, and fails to make a shade 

 dense enough to keep the grass out of groves. The pistillate 

 form is objectionable on account of the cottony floats with which 

 it fills the air when shedding its seed. It has, however, done 

 good service in our Western States, and may continue to be of 



