132 SOUTH DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



pose to which a rapid growing soft wooded species can be applied. 

 The wood is of very little value either for fuel or farm uses. It 

 is not durable used as fence posts or poles, is not strong, warps 

 badly when made into boards. Cottonwood is a rank feeder and 

 is not a good neighbor for other and more valuable sorts. The 

 cottonwood leaf beetle has done immense damage to trees in 

 many parts of the state and the pest is rapidly spreading. In the 

 dryer parts of the state the cottonwood is proving a short-lived 

 tree. In the presence of all these objections its one great virtue 

 of rapid growth is hardly sufficient to warrant its use in groves. 

 Cottonwood is easily grown from cuttings. 



THE RUSSIAN POPLARS. A number of these varieties of the' 

 genus Populus have been tested in the state, but as all are sub- 

 ject to the attacks of the cottonwood leaf beetle their value is 

 questionable. With this pest out of the way the Russian Popu- 

 lus certinensis, P, pyramidalis and P. Nolester have proven trees 

 of very rapid growth, and all are said to yield a timber of greater 

 value than the cottonwood. The Russian poplars while not 

 common, are offered for sale by several nurseymen in this State, 

 Minnesota and Iowa. They are only known as yet by their 

 scientific names. 



THE WHITE WILLOW. This tree has been largely plan ted as 

 a wind break, for which purpose it is peculiarly fitted by reason 

 of the great number of branches which extend from the ground 

 along the entire stem. It is of rapid growth, especially in moist 

 situations, and of easy culture. The timber is regarded as of 

 rather more value than cottonwood. It does best in moist soils, 

 but is successfully grown on uplands. It is not a good tree with 

 which to hedge an orchard, or to plant where it is desirable to 

 crop the land adjoining, as it is a gross feeder and its surface 

 roots spread wide on every side. 



Of late, in this vicinity, the elm sawfly has denuded the 

 willows of their leaves, making them very unsightly and check- 

 ing growth seriously. The larvae succumbs readily to arsenical 

 spraying. The willow reaches a higher degree of development 

 in central Iowa than in central South Dakota, but it can be 

 grown here. It is not so well adapted for mixed planting as 

 other species, ranking with cottonwood for this purpose. It is 



