Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-11-20
OsIer willows.

10 grow oslerS successfully deep, rlcl
soil Is indispensable. The ground shoult
also DO moist and low, but not too wet
The deep, moist black lands are good, bu
the ''made lands" are the best. What
mean by made lands are lands made by
soil deposited by changes in the flow o
streams or rivers. These soils are the nat
ural home of the willow. The land shoulC
be broken as deep as possible (saY ter
inches), as late in the fall as the weather
will permit, and also thoroughly narrowed
before freezing commences. Planting
should commence as soon as the frost is out
of the ground and while the ground is still
very soft. The slips should be ready pre-
pared. They should be about ten inches
long; tied up in bundles with the buds all
one way, and either set In shallow water,
covered with earth, or placed in the cellar
until needed. In planting think it best to
have long cord and stretch it across the
plat, pushing the willow slips into the
ground alongside the cord. In this way
the rows are made perfectly straight AT
ter planting one row move the cord three
feet and plant the next row. This can be
done quickly by having one person at each
end OF the cord TO move the pegs and stretch
the cord. The rows will be three feet
apart at every point, and il will be straight
enough TO admit of easy cultivation. 1t
will be necessary in pushing the slips in the
! ground to have thick leather pad for the
hand, and no slips should be used except
| those that are large enough TO be showed
/ into the ground without bending and break.
ing. The slips should be set about ten
inches apart III rows. Closer planting
would not hurt, but they are easier culti-
waited when at this distance apart, and will
get thick enough in few years. AS soon
rs the buds commence starting, and the
ground gets dry enough, cultivation ought
10 commence with hoe and cultivator. This
cultivation should be repeated through the
season often enough TO keep down the
weeds and keep the ground in good con-
dition for the slips to grow. The slips will
probably grow about three to five feet high
the first season. Some willow growers cut
them off in the winter of the first year, 80
as TO secure straight shoots the next season.
but think the best plan is to let them
grow two seasons before cutting, as the
roots will be stronger and the third years
crop (Which ought to be the first market
crop will be better. Besides, if not cut
the first winter after planting, the second
years cultivation will be greatly lessened.
The first cutting (the second winter after
plantlng) is of little market value, and
might as well be thrown aside, or what is
better, the best of it might be cut into slips
for planting more land. The cutting can
be done at any time from the 1st of Decem-
Der until the buds start in the spring; and
they should be cut while the snow is off 80
as to cut as close to the ground as possible.
A long hawk-bill knife, made for the pur-
pose, is the best TO cut with. After cutting,
tie up in bundles and put inte shecks, in
order TO keep the sun from the butts until
they are hauled to the ditch. The bitches
should be made convenient to a spring
or small running brook, so as to lead the
water from the spring or brook into them.
The bitches should be made perfectly level
on the bottom, and should be no deeper
than necessary to hold about three inchesof
water. There should be forks or stakes
driven into the ground on both sides of the
ditch opposite to each other, and about
five feet apart. Poles should extend across
the ditch from each fork to the one oppo-
site, about four feet from the ground. The
willow bundles should be set in between
these poles as thick as they can be placed,
and care should be taken that the butts are
even, or some of them will be out of water.
If the ditch is wide, there should also be
cross stats TO keep the bundles from falling
over in case of wind. The object in hav-
ing the bitches so shallow is so that the
roots that will come out as the sap rises
will be at the very ends of the cuttings
If the water is deeper, the roots will come
out near the surface of the water, and that
- ha ,.-;llnuu holouy hn 70
would be hard to peel. The peeling should
commence as soon as the buds put forth,
and be persisted in faithfully until all are
done, which should be in month or six
weeks at the farthest. The willows
should be placed in the sun as soon as pos
sible after peeling. If it is rainy day
spread them thin until the sun comes out.
One days sun will generally be sufficient, if
not packed in too large quantities for some
few days after. BE sure they are dry be-
fore bulking, or they will lose their bright
white color, and will also lose greatly in
value. Never let them get wet after peel
ing, or they will turn black, unless imme-
diately dried. After they are thoroughly
dried, tie them up in seventy-five to one
hundred pound bundles for shipping or
hauling TO market. The profit depends
upon how chcaply you get the work done,
and upon the demands of the market. Good
lands ought to produce five thousand
pounds of marketable willows per acre.
They are now worth about four cents per
pound. They ought to bc put on the mar
ket at cost of two cents, with good man
agement, which would leave net profit of
500 per acre.