The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-01

which grows in wild state upon wet land
In various parts Of the world, cannot be
| made to, supply the place Of the cultivated
article, as it rarely possesses the requisite
srnoothness of surface, elasticity, and lack
Ct pith. The cultivated willows, or
''osiers," as they are technically denomi-
mated, are not necessarily grown upon wet
land Fhe field where they are to be
planted is as thoroughly prepared as for any
other crop The planting is done by
setting twigs of willow in the ground
In rows sixteen to twenty inches apart, the
distance between the twigs in the same
row being eight to twelve inches.
The crops of the first and second years
are not very valuable, though the shoots are
carefully cut to prevent injury to the crop
of the third year, which is expected to pay
all the expenses, with the rent taxes, &C.,
of establishing the plantation. The field
may be kept in willows ten or twelve years,
at the end of which time the roots are
ploughed or grubbed out, and the land is
given to some other crop. The land must
be all the time kept clean of weeds, and,
if it shows signs of exhaustion, manure
must be applied The willows are cut in
the autumn, as soon as the leaves fall; and
if they are to be ''peeled white" they are
done up in bundles with their butts in six
or eight inches of water, in which they re-
main until the following spring, when, as
growth begins, the bark peels off readily
If the osiers are to be ''peeled buff" they
are bundled and dried, and are subsequently
peeled by being boiled or steamed, and then
drawn through machine made for the
purpose. The baskets made from the buff
| are said to be much frmer than those made
from the white rods.
There are several manufacturers of will
low ware in Boston, and large number in
| New York and other cities; and they would
certainly be willing to purchase American
willow, if it could be obtained of good
| quality, and at the same price, as the i'm
| ported article; but, although there is duty
of thirty per cent. upon imported willow,
it is doubtful whether person located so
far West as Springfield, Illinois, could at
1.-THE present time raise osiers and deliver
them here as low as they are delivered here
from European countries They are quite
bulky articles and the freight charges upon
them over seven or eight hundred miles of
railroad would be quite heavy. Osiers are
sold here at an average of nine to eleven
cents per pound, and some of the poorest
qualities can be purchased at from five to
seven cents per pound. The labor en-
ployed in raising them is usually very
cheap, much cheaper than can at present
be obtained in this country, and the freight
on them across the ocean is also very low.
There is no doubt, however, that they
can be made quite profitable crop in al
most any section of the country if manu-
factured in the vicinity where they are
raised; and as labor is now much lower than
formerly, it is safe to predict that in the
future greater proportion of the willow
manufactured in the country will be raised
here. Indeed, it is to be regretted that
more attention has not already been paid
to the subject by agriculturists. Willows
are quite an important crop in Great
Britain; and it is estimated that there are,
in that country and Ireland, between six
thousand and seven thousand acres in cul-
tivation. France and Belgium produce
large quantities of excellent osiers, and
many tons OF the coarser kinds are
exported from Holland.-N Y. Commercial
Bulletin.