﻿COTTONWOOD IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 57 



temporarily set in nursery beds, where they have developed roots 

 and tops. The soil in the nursery should, if possible, be permeable 

 and somewhat sandy. The ground should be prepared in the same 

 manner as for a seed bed and the cuttings set to a depth of about 9 

 inches. If planted too deeply it will be difficult to take them up 

 without injury to the roots, many of which form at the callused 

 surface. In developing rooted cuttings, therefore, comparatively 

 short sections are preferable, about 10 to 12 inches long. Not over 

 2 or 3 inches of the stem will protrude above the ground surface, 

 but on this section there should be at least one good bud from which 

 the new growth may spring. 



The fresh or plain cuttings may be set in the nursery by preparing 

 holes with a small stick or an iron bar, the holes to be slightly smaller 

 in diameter than the cuttings themselves. If the soil is sufficiently 

 soft and light, holes will not be necessary. If the cuttings are set at 

 an angle with the ground, the soil may be more firmly packed by the 

 foot. With this method there is danger that the roots will be cut 

 when the stock is taken up from the nursery. A spacing of about 6 

 inches in the row and 1 foot between the rows will give the cuttings 

 plenty of room for vigorous development and at the same time allow 

 of hand cultivation. If there is plenty of available ground for the 

 beds, a spacing of 2^ feet between the rows will be preferable, since 

 it permits the use of a one-horse cultivator. 



Since the growth of cuttings in the nursery is usually vigorous, it 

 will scarcely ever be advisable to leave them there more than one 

 summer, lest the root system becomes too extensive to handle easily 

 in planting. A comparatively small, stocky, but vigorous root sys- 

 tem develops where the soil of the nursery site is kept fairly moist 

 throughout the growing season. The stock should be watered during 

 drought. The cuttings may be taken up and planted on the perma- 

 nent site the following spring, or, in the southern part of the valley, 

 as soon as growth ceases in the fall, when they should be from 3 to 6 

 feet high. 



SEED. 



The difficulties of sowing cottonwood seed in the field render this 

 method of little practical value. The light, buoyant, cottony seeds 

 make it almost impossible to keep them where sown except during a 

 dead calm. Even after sowing a large proportion of the seed will 

 be blown away unless held down by the moist ground or by rain. 



Seedspot sowing consists of placing several seeds at regularly 

 spaced intervals rather than sowing over the entire area. So far as 

 known this method has never been tried, and, like broadcast sowing, 

 it is considered of little practical value. The only possibility of its 

 use with cottonwood would be on wet situations, where a slight cover- 



