﻿COTTONWOOD IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 45 



possible the rotation can be further shortened. Planted stands which 

 can be thinned once or twice during the rotation might easily reach 

 maturity at least 5 or 6 years earlier than natural stands which have 

 been given no special attention. If improved market conditions 

 ma^e it possible in the future to harvest unmanaged natural cotton- 

 wood forests in the Mississippi Valley in 30 years, it would lie possi- 

 ble to cut well-managed, planted forests in 25 years or even less. 



COBDWOOD. 



In average natural stands of cottonwood cordwood can be obtained 

 in about 10 years, with a total yield of approximately 42}- cords per 

 acre, or an annual yield of 2.7 cords. Under particularly favorable 

 conditions of growth the time may be shortened to 13 years. In 

 planted stands the time may be reduced even to 12 years, especially 

 where thinning and cultivation are possible. 



Since" stands cut for cordwood can be most easily renewed by cop- 

 picing, the second rotation should be much shorter than the first be- 

 cause of the more rapid growth of the sprouts. 



No stands were found in this country to indicate the exact differ- 

 ence in the length of rotation for coppice and for seedling forest. 

 In South America, where the coppice system is practiced on short 

 rotations, wood of suitable dimensions for saw purposes is grown 

 from cuttings in 10 years, and a second crop equal to the first is 

 obtained by sprout reproduction in 7 years. In the case of natural 

 stands renewed by sprout reproduction the difference between the 

 lengths of the first and second rotations would be much greater than 

 in the case just mentioned, where the first stand was obtained from 

 cuttings, a form of sprout reproduction. Reproduction by coppicing 

 in the Mississippi Valley therefore ought to make possible a second 

 rotation as short as 10 to 12 years. 



RETURNS FROM GROWING COTTONWOOD. 



The returns from growing cottonwood will depend upon the man- 

 ner of establishing the stand and the product desired. 



LUMBER. 



Where a cottonwood stand is to be established by natural repro- 

 duction, supplemented by planting, the following costs per acre 

 may be taken as conservative: 



Site preparation . $2. 50 



Seed trees ' 1. 25 



Planting one-third the area 1.25 



Total— _,__, 5. 00 



