The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-09-08
Baskets
lin GREAT DEMAND
Merchants of This Country Are
Advertising in Germany
for Them.

The fact that a Chicago merchant
Is advertising In German trade papers
for million willow clothes baskets
is pointed to by experts on willow
culture In this country as evidence
OF our neglect OF profitable indus-
try.
Climate and soil are as favorable
for the willow culture in this country
as in Germany or anywhere else and
the market for willow Of the better
grades Is the best in the world. Gem
orally speaking, land that will grow
wheat will grow willows. Their cul-
tivatlon Is not difficult. and profits are
usually good. But up to the present
time Americans have not taken hold
OF the matter in earnest, though both
interest and production have been on
the increase OF recent years as a re-
suit of the efforts made by the De-
partment OF Agriculture to inform
the pubic of the opening which willow
growing offers.
The Germans handle the business
well. They have Industrial schools
where basket weaving Is taught.
Many of these schols grow their own
willow rods, cut them. peel and pre-
pare them for use. To the mutual
advantage of both pupils and pro-
prietors, arrangements are made to
allow pupils to work part of the time
in the "holts," as the willow fields
are called, belonging to the schools,
and in that way earn enough to pay
their tuition and board. They then
become familiar with all parts of the
business, and when they graduate
they are competent to take places as
overseers of farms or foremen in
wicker ware factories. The schools
profit by getting much OF their work
done without paying cash for It,
American willow growers and man.
ufacturers of willow ware must meet
that competition; but those who have
Investigated conditions here and
abroad feel confident that the AmerI-
can has advantages which will enable
him to compete successfully II he
takes up the business with charac-
teristic energy.
There are more than 100 manufac-
turers OF willow ware in the United
States, One tenth of them grow
their own willows, and about an equal
number grow part of their stock
more than dozen varieties are cul.
tivated in this country, in seventeen
states and many manufacturers as.
sert that the home grown rods are
equal or even superior to the import
ed. Good hollis pay a profit the first
year. though the profits of later
years are much greater. The average
price OF unpeeled rods last year was
about one and quarter cents pei
pound, and OF peeled rods about seven
cents. A well-managed willow holt
should average twenty-five hundred
pounds of rods to the acre yearly. and
the cost of growing and harvesting
the crop Is comparatively low. 1t Il
a crop which requires comparatively
little labor. so that the small grower
II able-bodied, can be pretty indie
pendent in the matter Of hired help
Instructions for the growing Of
basket willows are sent out by the
Forest Service, upon request, togeth.
er with statement of the returns
to be expected.
The Service is devoting special at.
tention to testing every known var
Ietyof basket willow in order to find
the best varieties for home growers
In the early spring time cuttings from
all approved basket willows are sent
gratis to applicants who desire tc
establish willow holts.