The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-06-12
WILLOW TREE FARM.
Something that Beats n Cotton and Corn
Crop.
Macon Telegraph.

Macon Telegraph.
Mr.. I. G. Plant, the well-known bank
er, has solved the problem Of utilizing
the swamp lands below Macon. Many
have tried the experiment of raising corn
cotton, oats, etc., and found it very uncer
tain. The overflow from the river Otter
ruined the crops and lost the planters
many dollar. The land is rich and
grows everything; but unless leyees are
built-and these are expensive-no cal
culation can be- made as to the result.
But Mr.. Plant is now Indifferent as to
freshets. His swamp farm, about two
miles from town, is surrounded and pro.
tected by strong levee, and is in every
respect model farm; but if this levee
should break and the water remain on
the land for months, he will now have
better results for the willow trees he has
planted than if the levee remained in
tact and he gathered full crop of cotton
and corn.
He has now willow farm, the only
one in the South. Think of twenty.
eight acres planted in willow trees And
yet these willows bring him 5000 to the
acre the second year, $500 the third year,
$400 the fourth year and 80 on. Aud
this too without putting a plow or hoe to
the ground.
About two years ago MIR. Plant was in
Hartford, Conn.,, and saw a lot of willows
growing around the dykes of the Colts
pistol factory. They were imported by
Col. Colt from Switzerland about the
time several Swiss families came over to
settle. Mr.. Plant took quite fancy to
the willows and seeing how we'll they
grew on land subject to overhows, knew
at once that they would thrive we'll on
his swamp lands near Macon. He
secured $4,000 cuttings from Col. Colt,
and they were brought out and planted
about 18 months ago. The plants grew
rapidly and soon convinced Mr.. Plant
that be was right in bis conjectures as to
the willow doing we'll on the swamp
land.
About year ago he planted $4,000
more cuttings, from which he took and
planted $4,000 cuttings about FIVE weeks
ago on about eleven acres of land.
During the last freshet, about two
weeks ago, Mr.. Plant heard of ship
load of willows arriving in New York.
He telegraphed al once for large lot
and they arrived just about the time the
water subsided and left the ground in a
muddy condition. Employing large
force of negro women and boys he had
these twigs assorted out and proceeced to
put them in the ground. With a large
force of negro boys he laid out seventeen
acres of ground in rows five feet apart.
With stick, holes twelve inches deep
were made and the boys dropped in the
cuttings at lively rate, wading through
the mud and water. The ground was in
excellent condition, and out of $4,000
cuttings only few failed to take root
and begin to grow at once. Thus he has
a total of $4,000 willow trees on his %
acres, and with corn and the castor beans
planted between the rows.
A visit to this novel farm yesterday
afternoon showed the trees to be growing
finely. Those set out eighteen months
ago are from FIVE to eight feet high; those
set out twelve months ago are three to
four feet high, and those set out. a few
weeks ago are growing rapidly and will
be ready to cut in two years. The first
cut of this crop will be made next Octo.
Der.
Now as to what the willows will bring.
These cuttings will produce ton to the
acre for the second year, and this will be
increased yeal after year. Each cutting
produces six or eight upright switches
like grass from seven to nine feet high,
without any twigs or branches, doubling
in quantity and increasing in height
from year to year without replantipg.
When properly stripped and prepared
for market, these willow branches readily
command from $3.50 to 5000 per ton, or
from 9 to 10 cents per pound atthe North
or West.
1t will be seen by the figuring that at
the end of two years Mr.. Plants twenty
eight acres will bring him in $500, with
no expense save the stripping and baling.
In four years this amount is doubled.
The stripping is very simple process.
For some time it was a puzzle to MIR.
Plant, but while on one of his trips to
New York, he went into one of the larg-
est willowware establishments to look
around, and while there a shipment of
willow branches came in from the West.
The willows were white as snow and alto.
gether fine lot. He asked where they
were grown, and was told in the West.
To find out how the willows were cleaned,
Mr.. Plant very quietly made trip OF
four hundred miles. He went to the
grower of willows and found him using
q very slow contrivance. After looking
at it awhile Mr.. Plant soon saw that he
could improve upon the method, and ask.
ing permission of the willow tree farmer,
pulled off his coat and in short while
had machine that took the bark off at
once. The farmer was delighted, and
after Mr. Plant returned home the farmer
patented the machine and sent one to
Mr.. Plant.
The willows are pulled through this
are stripped off clean. The willows are
then plunged into vat or trough of
water and taken up Immediately by boy
or girl wearing heavy woolen gloves.
The willow switch is pulled through the
hand, laid aside, and is then ready for
baling. The ends are altered and pressed
in compact bundles, and are then ready
for market. The cost of shipping and
preparing does not exceed five dollars
per ton.
On one of his trips to New York, Mr..
Plant mentioned his willow farm to a
leading willowware manufacturer, and
was made an offer in writing for all he
could grow in ten years at $3.50 per ton.
Recently drummer for willowware
house happened to see some of the willow
switches grown on Mr.. Plants place. He
wrote to his house concerning them, and
in four days Mr.. Plant received an offer
for his entire crop at 5000 ton.
Now while this land is made so valu-
able by tree that requires no cultivation
whatever, making sure crop every year,
there is still ample room on the same
land for crop of corn which is planted