12 



The preceding table shows that hardy catalpa has thruout a high 

 percentage of heartwood. This is one of the maii}^ excellent qualities 

 that make it so valuable as a post timber. Green ash develops no 

 heartwood for some years, which accounts for the short life of posts 

 from young trees. Honey locust begins to develop heartwood earl}^ 

 and the amount, tho small at first, increases rapidly with age. Black 

 walnut, tho noted for its durability, does not develop enough heartwood 

 to make a durable post until it is about T inches in diameter. Cotton- 

 wood has a smaller proportion of heartwood than black walnut, but 

 even the heartwood of cottonwood decays quickly. Heartwood is not 

 formed in silver maple for some years, and then it develops more 

 slowly than in cottonwood. 



COTTONWOOD. 



Cottonwood deserves a prominent place in Nebraska tree planting. 

 It grows very rapidly and can be propagated easily and cheaply, and h 

 the wood is coming into wide use. It is planted principalh^ for fuel 

 and lumber, but in the sand hills, and sometimes elsewhere, it is used 

 extensivel}^ for fence posts. A cottonwood post lasts about three 

 years, or five in exceptional cases. Posts are usually set out when 

 green, with the bark on, which in part accounts for their short life. 



The fuel value of cottonwood is relatively low, but owing to its 

 rapid growth it is doubtful whether anv other tree adapted to Nebraska 

 conditions will produce as many heat units per acre in a given time. 

 Under average conditions a plantation, on bottomland, will produce 3 

 cords per acre annualh^ for the first twenty-five or thirty 3^ ears. The 

 majority of the bottomland groves reported run below this figure, but 

 a large amount of cutting had been done in them before these meas- j 

 urements were taken, and none has been under the most favorable I 

 management. i 



Cottonwood grows best on rich, well-drained bottomlands. On i 

 uplands it will succeed in low situations, such as ravines and A^alleys, j 

 but on high, dr}^ land is very apt to be killed bv drought, and at best ?■ 

 will yield considerably less than on bottomlands. The trees may do well !■ 

 for one, two, or several years, and then suddenly die. In the season i» 

 of 1894, one of the driest in the history of the State, a very large pro- f> 

 portion of cottonwood on the dry upland was either badly damaged or !;> 

 killed altogether. : 



The yield table for cottonwood is of interest as showing the relative f 

 value of saw-log and fuel- wood products. The table shows a total vield |^. 

 of 53,514 board feet of saw logs. These saw logs contain 260.1 cords f 

 of fuel wood. The common stumpage value of saw logs is ^10 per Jf 

 thousand, and of fuel wood S2 per cord. f 



53,514 board feet, at $10 per thousand $535. 14 ;■ 



260.1 cords, at $2 520. 20 I 



Difference 14. 94 



[Cir. 45] 





