TREES AND THEIR VALUE FOR PLANTING 95 



and furniture. It is fairly durable in contact with the soil. 

 The rate of growth is rapid, but varies with the conditions 

 of moisture and situation. Seedlings can be started from seed 

 planted in the farm nursery. The seed should be gathered 

 in the fall and hung in a bag in the barn over winter. The 

 seed should be planted as early in the spring as possible, sown 

 thickly in drills half an inch deep. The seedlings will be ready 

 for planting the following spring. It can be planted pure or 

 mixed with other species such as European larch, black cherry, 

 black walnut, pine, etc. The trees should be spaced 6 by 6 feet 

 on favorable sites, but closer together on poorer sites. At 40 

 years of age on good soil white ash will reach a diameter 

 growth of 8 to ID inches and a height growth of 50 to 60 feet. 

 It can be planted for fence posts. When creosoted the posts 

 will last many years. 



White Willow (Salix alba). — White willow was introduced 

 from the old world early in the settlement of the country. 

 It thrives throughout the northern and eastern parts of the 

 country and in most places has run wild. It reaches a height 

 of 80 feet and a diameter of 4 to 6 feet. It prefers a moist 

 or wet, rich, alluvial, sandy loam, but will thrive well on the 

 high, dry prairies of North Dakota and Minnesota. It is a 

 rapid-growing tree. It reproduces naturally from seed, but the 

 usual method of propagation is by cuttings from one to two- 

 year-old wood, made 8 to 10 inches long. These are planted 

 firmly in the ground so that only two buds appear above the 

 surface, and spaced 3 feet by 6 feet or 2 feet by 8 feet apart. 

 It is sometimes mixed with cottonwood. Weeds must be 

 kept out until the ground is well shaded by the crowns. The 

 wood is very soft, flexible and fairly strong. It is used for 

 cricket or baseball bats, in turnery and cooperage. The char- 

 coal is said to make the finest grades of gunpowder. It is 

 sometimes used for fence posts, although it has but little dura- 

 bility. When planted in dense stands it yields straight, light 

 poles for many purposes. It is also planted for windbreaks. 



