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 earler than natural stands which have 
been given no special attention. If improved market conditions 
make it possible uf the future to harvest unmanaged natural cotton- 
wood forests in the Mississippi Valley in 30 years, it would be possi- 
ble to cut well-managed, planted forests in 25 years or even less. 
CORDWOOD. 
In average natural stands of cottonwood cordwood can be obtained 
in about 16 years, with a total yield of approximately 424 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: 
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miantineg= one-third the areas oo ses f 125 
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