West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-11-01
osicr willows


soil is indispensable. The ground should
also bo moist and low, but not too wet
The deep, moist black lands are good, bu,
the 'mado lands are tho best. What
mean 10y made lands are lands made by
soil deposited 10y changes In the flow OF
streams or rivers. These soils are the mt
ural home of the willow. The land should
bc broken rs deep rs possible (say ten
| lnChcs), as late in the fall as the weather
viii permit, and also thoroughly narrowed
before freezing commences Planting
should commence as soon rs the frost is out
OF the ground and while the ground Is still
very soft The slips should be ready prc-
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 i'm the cellar
until needed In planting think IL best Ia
have long cord and stretch il across the
plat, pushing the willow slips into the
ground alongside the cord In this way
the rows are made perfectly straight AZ.
ter planting one row move the cord three
feet and plant the next row. This can be
done quickly 10y having one person at each
end of the cord to move the pegs and stretch
the cord. The rows will bc three feet
apart at every point, and IL will bo straight
enough TO admit of easy cultivation. Ii
will he necessary in pushing the slips in the
ground To have thick leather pad for the
hand, and no slips should bc used exccpt
those that are large enough to bc showed
into the ground without bending and break
ing. The slips should he set about ten
inches apart IN rows Closer planting
would not hurt, but they are easier cult
waited when at this distance apart, and will
get thick enough i'm II few years. As soon
as the buds commence starting, and tho
ground gets dry enough, cultivation ought
to commence with hoe and cultivntor. This
cultivation should bc 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 OIL IN the winter Of the first year, 30
as To secure straight shoots the next season.
but think the best plan is To lot them
grow two seasons before cutting, MS the
roots will be stronger and the third years
crop (Which ought to he the first market
CROP will he better. Besides, If not cut
the first winter after planting, the second
years cultivation will be greatly lcsscned.
The first cutting 0hc second winter after
might AZ well bc thrown aside, or what IN
better, the best Of il might he cut into slips
for planting more land. The cutting can
he done at any time from the lst of Dccem-
her until the buds start in the spring; and
they should be cut while the snow is Oft no
rs To- cut as close to the ground as possible.
long k-bill knife, made for the pur-
pose, is the best To cut with. After cutting.
tie, nm In bundles and .nui intas shacLa in
order To keep the sun from the butts until
they are hauled to the ditch. The bitches
should be made convenient to n 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 bc no deeper
than necessary to hold about three inchcsof
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 i'm between
these poles rs 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 10 keep the bundles from falling
over in case of wind. The object in bav-
ing the bitches 80 shallow il 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
part II the willow below the roots
would be hard to peel. The peelng should
commence ~ soon as the buds put forth,
and be persisted in faithfully until all arc
done, which should be i'm "a month or six
weeks at the farthest. The willows
should be placed in the sun as soon as pos
sibie after pceling. 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 arc 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-
diatey dried. After they are thoroughly
dried, tic them up in scyenty-fiyo 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 themarkct Good
lands ought 10 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 a cost Of two cents, with good man
agoment which would leave net profit Of
500 per acre.