The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-02-12

process be adopted, and this would seem practical for us, the
farmer has from about December first to the growing season ir
spring, to properly harvest his willows for market. The only tools
other than the regular farm supply would be a certain cutting
knife, unless the farmer chose to use his pruning shears, and a.
small peellng device which many men and boys manufacture from
bits of wagon tires or springs that lay about the buildings.
The willow holt (feld) when once established will continue
to produce for II to IS years in succession, thus relieving the
farmer of much time and toll that other crops demand.
Only extracts from farmers bulletins number Ga are given
IN this series of articles on willow growing. If the farmer will
write a postal to the agricultural department, Washington, D. c.,
asking for this bulletin, he will find the entire pamphlet of ma
terial interest, and illustrations instructive.
In growing willows where no natural small streams abound,
in which to pit the rods for sap peeling, there would necessarily
have to be a substitute provided. 1t occurs to the writer, however,
that a small ground vat could be cemented and filled from the
pump or well as only about five or SIX inches of water is needed.
When we try raising willows for commercial use, there is no
cropping about blindly in regard to a beginning, neither do we
need wat to be convinced that we can raise them, for in their
wild, imperfect state we have them along every ditch bank.
The department at Washington has no information that bas-
ket willows have been known west of the Mississippi river for
commercial purposes, except at one point in southeast Iowa, and
another in eastern Missouri and in eastern Oregon. This leaves
the field wide and big. Willows are grown, however, for wind
brakes and some other purposes, at a few points throughout the
western states, including our own as you will see by the letter
of DIR. Shattuck, of the University at Moscow.
You will note that DR.. Shattuck says the only question in
his mind in connection with willow raising is that of market, and
we have no basket makers. have never considered shipping in
switch form, neither do | think it advisable for farmers to enter
tain such an idea for a moment. A payroll is of interest equal
to farm production, and while no special investigation has been
made in regard to manufacturing willow products, some of the
reasons why failure in this line is not anticipated are here given.
Trades people are perfectly willing to come to Idaho pro-
.vided they can pursue their favorte calling whatever it may be,
and the continued disturbed conditions in Europe will send thous
ands of willow workers to our shores for the asking, if any are
left when the war is over. If you wish to say Europe is a long
way off, you will be reminded that we have a goodly number of
its people among US already. We do not need a great army of
workers, but must depend upon a few with excellent skill to teach
our own people, for this work can be carried on at any season or
all of the year. We have the Indians at the south of us who pre-
fer such work as this to any other, and would be steady and pains
taking with the training they would receive from the government
schools, and under careful supervision. | would have the manual
training department of our public schools have special regard to
basket weaving, which they now teach to a limited degree.
Our county superintendent of schools is a careful, practical,
painsaking educator, who would be only too glad to promote
willow raising and weaving with the objective point healthy pro-
ducton and payroll. Professor Vincent of our city school is equally
interested in any legitimate movement that would benefit us COM
mercially. Professor Crutchfeld of the agricultural department.
has already expressed his Willingness to experiment in willow rails
ing.
The schools in the north and south ends of the county, asI
well as some of the others in the country, are giving much atten-
Aicher of the experimental station at Aberdeen has a letter in this
issue regarding willow culture. In fact | feel assured the way
will open to manufacture a wide range of useful and marketable
articles when our farmers furnish us the raw materials in good
quality.
There are many people already here who have a working
knowledge of willow weaving.
The idea of willow raising for purposes suggested is very
new to most of us. Many have no thought beyond the simple,
crude affair which some wayfaring man with a pocket knife and
little ingenuity stops on the ditch banks to make on the outskirts
of town, and proceeds to sell it for a mere pittance to satisfy hunger
or an appetite for tobacco or whisky. The customer feels that