willows: their growth, use, and importance. 
25 
total stand on approximately 1,000 acres. It occurred generally in 
groups one-eighth acre to 3 or 4 acres in extent. In plots 7, 8, and 9, 
on Raccourci Island, Williamsport, La., the willow stand was almost 
pure over several thousand acres. At other places the plots were in 
pure stands, ranging from 1 acre to 100 acres. In scaling the plots 
Table 9 was used. The top diameters shown in Table 5 more nearly 
represent the actual practice in cutting willow under the present 
wasteful lumbering, but in order to make a fairer comparison with 
cottonwood or other species more closely utilized it was considered 
desirable to base the yield on approximately the same utilization as 
for cottonwood. 
Table 15. — Yield of black willow in the Mississippi Valley south of Cairo, III. 
WELL-STOCKED STANDS. 
Plot No. 
Location. 
Size 
of 
plot. 
Age. 
Trees 
per 
acre. 
Aver- 
age 
height. 
Yield per acre 
12 
State. 
Missouri 
Acres. 
0.25 
.25 
.50 
.50 
.25 
.25 
2.50 
1.00 
.25 
.25 
.25 
2.50 
Years. 
35 
40 
45 
45 
47 
50 
55 
55 
55 
58 
58 
58 
76 
84 
98 
34 
56 
52 
41 
36 
64 
40 
56 
56 
Feet. 
84 
90 
90 
116 
116 
116 
110 
107 
110 
106 
109 
103 
Cubic feet. 
6,608 
8,968 
10, 418 
6,124 
7,888 
8,140 
7,800 
7,004 
1,008 
6,113 
9,016 
6,809 
Board ft. 
28, 320 
41,920 
46, 820 
30, 340 
41,280 
39, 840 
38, 360 
33, 989 
49, 760 
30, 960 
48, 560 
42,280 
Cords. 
66 
11 
89 
10 
5 
.....do..... 
104 
61 
4 
6 
7 
do 
do 
79 
81 
78 
8 
1 
do 
70 
90 
2 
3 
9 
do 
do 
61 
90 
87 
UNDERSTOCKED STANDS. 
Mississippi . 
Missouri 
do 
Mississippi . 
do 
Arkansas... 
do 
Tennessee. . 
do 
Louisiana . . 
0.25 
27 
52 
104 
5,488 
25,360 
.25 
37 
58 
75 
4,992 
20, 800 
.25 
41 
62 
62 
4,836 
19, 400 
.25 
47 
32 
105 
4,300 
20, 720 
.25 
47 
32 
100 
4,640 
22, 400 
.25 
49 
36 
97 
4,556 
21, 440 
.25 
50 
36 
96 
5,356 
25, 800 
.25 
51 
56 
86 
5,482 
24, 400 
.25 
51 
68 
66 
6,208 
27,280 
.25 
55 
28 
94 
3,844 
26, 404 
MANAGEMENT OF WILLOW ON OVERFLOW BOTTOM LANDS. 
The black willow is now receiving the attention of lumbermen 
because it is a substitute for cottonwood, which is being rapidly ex- 
hausted, and because it is especially adapted for management on the 
Mississippi bottom lands. The failing supply of cottonwood will be 
largely replaced by red gum for some purposes; but black willow 
must also become increasingly prominent, for it can be used in many 
ways and it is much lighter in weight than red gum, which, on account 
of the long distances this lumber must be shipped to reach the 
northern markets, is a decided advantage. 
Cottonwood is a better tree for planting than willow, but for the 
management of natural growth black willow is in many respects 
superior. It seeds as abundantly as cottonwood, reproduces by 
cuttings, and survives, when young, a greater variety of unfavorable 
conditions. The land that is in no danger of being inundated, covered 
8210°— Bull. 316—15 4 
