The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-11-04
LARGE DEMAND
FOR BASKETS

Tie fact that 2 ago merchant
Is adset Using m German ade IS
Spers ia million willow clothes bask
5ets III pointed u ~ xperts ID
low Culture d this count as eY
jdercec 81 our neglect u profitable IN
dustry
Climate aid soil are as favorable FIR
willow culture IN this country as IN
Germany or anywhere else, and the
market for willow OF the better grades
Is thsSbest in thu world. Generally.
speaking, land that will grow wheat
win grow willows. Their cultivation
Is not dimcnlt, and profits are usual
" good. But mp to the present time
Americans have not taken hid Of tie
matter In earnest, though both inter
est and production have been on the
increase Of recent years as a result
of the EFFORTS made by the Depart.
ment Of Agriculture to inform the
public Of the opening which willow
growing offers.
The Germans handle the business
well. They have Industrial schools
where basket weaving is taught. Many
Ct these schools grow their own viii.
low rods. cut them, and peel and pre-
pare them for use. To the mutual adj
vantage Of both pupils and proprie-
tors, 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 famil-
lar with all parts of the business, and
WHEN they graduate they are compe-
tent to take places as overseers Of
willow farms or fcremen ID wicker
ware factories. The schools profit by
getting much OF their work d=ne with
out paying cash for it.
American willow growers and man.
ufacturers of willow ware must meet
that competition; but taose who have
Investigated conditions. here ana
abroad feel confident that the Ameri.
can has advantage which will enable
him to compete successfully if he
takes up the business with charsc ter.
istic American energy.
There r more than 100 manufac.
tuners ii willow ware in the united
States. one-tenth of them grow their
own willows, and about an equal nun.
Der grow part of their stock. More
than q dozen varieties are cultivat.
ed in this country. in seventeen
States. end many manufacturers as.
sert that the home grown rods are
equal or even superior to the import.
ed. 'Gccd 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 a quarter cents a pound. and
OF peeled rods about seven cents. A
well.managed willow holt should aver.
age twenty-five hundred pounds of
rods to the acre yearly. and the cest
ef growing and harvesting the crop
Is comparatively low. 1t, Is a cfo5
which requires comparatively little Ia.
Dor, so that the smal grower, il able.
bodied, can be pretty independent in
the matter of hired help.
Instructions for the growing Of bas.
ket willows are sent cut by the For.
est Service. upon request, together
with a stateemtn OF the returns to be
expected. The Service is deyoting
special attention to testing every
known variety of basket willow in or.
der to find the best varieties for home
growers. In the early spring time
cuttings from all approved basket viii.
lows are sent gratis to applicants who
desire to establish willow hollis.
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