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 leng. 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 thé 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 24 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- 
