The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-25


Continual inquiry is made regarding bas-
ket willows, and considering the favora-
BILE market price they bring, it is remark
able that so few farmers undertake the
cultivation of the same.
Although this useful plant prospers well
in this country, large quantities of willows
are imported every year from Europe Not
every farmer may be in position to cult
vate willows on a large scale, but almost
every farmer has a spare piece of land
where he can plant some without expend-
ing much labor
The planting of properly selected side
civilizations always insures success, as
not every planting will fail in the same
year, and willow raising is certainly one
of the most profitable and practical side
civilizations, as it is very simple in COM
parison to the attention required by many
other plants on which the profits are GER
tainly much smaller
Low lands is best suited but high land
will also do. Land with too much water
or standing pools will not answer. The
cultivation is similar to that of corn. 1t
is best to plow in fall and again in spring
and keep all weeds out. Early in April, the
plants or cuttings are stuck into holes,
made with an IRON point, Twelve IncneS
apart and in rows three feet apart, so that
grass can be kept down with cultivator
and hoe.
These cuttings are made from to
3-year-old willows, and are about one long.
They are inserted leaving only two or
three eyes or one or two inches above the
ground In the first year only a few
switches will grow which will increase in
number. Every year in March, the will
lows are cut close to the STEM They
are tied up in bundles ten inches in diam
eter and placed in two or three inches of
water remaining there until the latter
part of April or until small leaves and
sprouts have appeared. This shows that
the sap has arisen which makes the peel
easily removable. Now the willows are
peeled by pulling them through a springy
wooden fork shaped like a clothes pin,
but larger with blunt edges inside, which
without injuring the willow presses the
bark and loosens the same in strands
which are easily removed.
Willows are dried in the open air and
put up in bundles of fifty pounds for the
market.
About 1900 cuttings are necessary to
plant an acre. The willow reaches its
greatest production in the third year, and
with proper care and good fertilizing, 1t
will continue to yield good results for
many years. Dry peeled willows ara
worth cents a pound, delivered in Mil
waukee
The following illustration may serve to
show the profit obtained from the produc-
ton of one acre of willows:
One acre only moderately well cared for
with fertilizer will yield at least four
tons of green willows. This is the small
est amount, as many acres yield seven
tons.
OF these four tons two-thirds may be
deducted for bark and moisture, leaving
about 1865 pounds dry willows at S cents
a pound, $13S.SO
Wages would amount to for cutting of
four tons at S. $40.
Peeling of 1866 pounds at one and three
fourths cent for large, and two cents for
small willows, $50, a total expenditure of
$40.
This leaves a profit per acre of 5000,
which is very favorable, compared with
that of wheat rye, barley and oats, and
it would be advisable for farmers to I'M
dertake at least the cultivation Of one
half or one acre.
In former years the American farmer
was able to obtain a higher price for his
willows, owing to the fact that the man
ufacturer then received considerably high
er prices for his goods.
on account of the constantly growing
competition among manufacturers, they
were obliged to look around for cheaper
material Willows were imported from
Europe in large quantities, which discour-
aged some farmers, and induced them to
give up the cultivation of willows alto
gether.
The above illustration plainly shows
that the willows can be delivered for 5
cents a pound. This price is equal to i'm
ported willows, including freight and duty
of the latter and gives the American
farmer a chance to compete with Euro
pean producers.-Ex.