The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-16
WILLOWS IN DEMAND.

the market for American osiers. and
American manufacturers Of willow
furniture and baskctware have found
II dificult to obtain sufficient raw ma
terial for their needs. Most of the
willow imports used in this country
come from England. Belgium. Holland.
France and Germany. but these
sources have been practically closed
for several months. One manufac-
turer reports that Japanese osiers
have taken the market formerly
supplied by German osiers at
slightly higher prices. Finished willow
baskets from Japan have come In
where split bamboo was the only
Japanese basket ware on sale before
the war. Prices Of American willows,
II Is said. have increased on account
Of the shortage of imported osiers.
and growers here are meeting a heavy
demand for their product.
The willow ware industry in America
Is centred in New York. Boston and
Rochester. Small concerns are located
in other places. but most OF the whole
saw supply N'tttN " ~ INV
cities. The extension Of the industry
liz limited not so much by the lack
Of raw material as by the scarcity OF
the right class of labor. Up to a few
months ago manufacturers used far
more imported than American willows.
because the imported rods are better
assorted and easier to obtain in the
desirable small sizes. The average
American grower seems not TO appre-
ciate the value Of mail stock. which
is more difficult to peel and therefore
more expensive to produce. The Amer
lean grown willow IL regarded favor
ably by furniture makers and could
easily be made to meet all require
men,s by greater care in growing and
| i'm preparing the rods for market.
Basket willows are not grown COM
merclally I'm this country over nearly
so great a range as possible. Willows
can be grown practically In ali parts
% the country. except In the arid
and semi-arid regions. the high alti-
tudes and portions of the South.
The value OF willow culture as a
profitable means OF utilizing overflow
lands not suitable for other crops has
been demonstrated.
With favorable moisture conditions
basket willows can he grown on "a wide
range of soils. but the ideal soil is a
loose. sandy loanl. II the soil Is either
FOUL or alkaline a sample should he
sent to the State experiment station
for analysis to determine the proper
means OF ncutratz!ng II. The ideal
site for willow growing IL one where
the water table Is from . 10 6 feet
| from the surface. insurine Ii constant
|, and SUFFICIENT water supply while the
surface remains dry enough to permit
thorough cultivation.
A person who intends TO plant will
lows should choose, as a rule. either
the American green variety, tn, Lem
ley or Patent Lemley. These varieties
require comparatively little cultivation.
are easily peeled and bring good prices.
American green Is much IN demand
by makers OF furniture and the heavier
and better grades OF basket ware. II
Is by far the best BASKET willow grown
In America, but unfortunately Is sub
Ject to insect attack and diseases.
The best time to plant Is very early
in the spring. when the weather is
cool. the soil moist and the cuttings
show little. II any. growth. To insure
success with the smallest coet the
cuttings should be widely spaced at
frst so as 70 permit NJ horse cultiv~a-
ton. Spacing might be 8 by sc inches.
or even IL by SO, according to the soil
and mo'sfHre conditions. After two
Wars of cultivation additional rows IT
cuttings should he set between those
already established. then further Gull
tivation Is done with a hoe until the
holt has developed to the point where
cultivation becomes unnecessary
Peel'ng presents the most dif'cult
problem Of basket willow culture in
this country, since II IL always difficult
to obtain labor at a cost low enough
to allow a profit TO the grower. This
circumstance has been responsible for
the abandonment Of many willow
hollis. What IL most needed in the
willow industry In America IL n peel
ing machine which would cost less
than 800. Several good machines
have. In fact, been designed, hut with
w exception they are all too cumber-
some and expensive. The basket will
low industry calls for q peeling ma
chine which would he ms useful to the
willow grower as tho small hand corn
shelter is to general farmers where
corn In q minor crop.
A poorly managed willow holt. even
II well situated. will not pay, but a
we'll managed holt under less favor
able conditions will return n good
profit. Willow growing requires a
certain amount of exact knowledge.
and for this reason the cost to the
beginner is generally higher than to
the experienced grower. II has been
calculated that from the fourth to the
twentieth year ~ a holt the aver
age annual net proit should he about
800 an acre.
The growing of willow. however, re-
quires much labor which must he OBJ
tained at low cost and is rather diff
cult tn get. Although prices of will
lows are high at present, primarily
because Of the decrease in imports, II
II. Of course impossible To say how
long these prices will rule. Neverthe-
.ess, there Is AN increase in popularity
Of willow furniture. which mt present
is another factor in high prices.
Two million willow cuttings have
been distributed by the United States
Forest Service among experiment sta.
tiOns, forest schools and individual
growers. Nurse. men say that as sooi
NJ 1-z Il, IN .v,n, &c.. ,,n