38 



IRISH GARDENING. 



The Willow Industry. 



OxE result of the great war is seen in the 

 revival of interest in Willow growing for basket- 

 maiiing and other forms of wicker work. There 

 has always been a certain amount of Willow 

 growing carried on, particularly in Leicester- 

 shire, but, perhaps, to some extent in Ireland 

 also. Before the war, however, a great many 

 Willows were imported from Belgium. This 

 ceased with the outbreak of war; manufac- 

 turers were very hard put to it to carry on. 

 There seems no adequate reason why all the 

 Willows required should not be produced at 

 home, and there is some reason to believe that 

 the industry will yet become of importance 

 both in England and Ireland if carried out on 

 right lines. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have 

 a pamphlet, published in 1913 (Miscellaneous 

 Publications, No. 18j, dealing with the Cul- 

 tivation of Osiers and Willows. This may be 

 obtained from the offices of the Board, 4 White- 

 hall Place, London, S.W., price 2d., post free. 

 Leaflet No. 301, recently issued, deals with 

 Insect and Fungus Pests of Basket Willows. 



Pamphlet No. 18 gives very clear directions 

 on cultivation, including sections on soil ami 

 situation, preparation of various types of land, 

 labour, planting, cleaning, costs, &c., the bulk 

 of the information having been suiyplied by 

 Mr. Patdgrave Ellmore. of Jjeicester. 



The first thing that strikes the reader is the 

 fact that the common idea that Willows will 

 grow in an^" riamp, wet situation is not neces- 

 sarily correct, as far as their commercial value 

 ^'ocs. The fact seems to be that first-rate 

 tanu land is necessary to obtain satisfactory 

 results, and the land must be kept scrupulously 

 clean and in ji high state of fertility. Arrange- 

 ments for supi>lying abundance of water at 

 will are also advi.sed. 



Tho.-^e who might contemplate growing Wil- 

 lows for jjrofit must be prepared to go into the 

 mattfi' thoroughly, and spare no effort to pro- 

 vide suitable land, ol)tain the best commercia' 

 varieties, and attend thoroughly to cultivation 

 during all the years the ])lantntion reniains in 

 bearing. 



Twenty years is the ])ejiod given for a j)lan- 

 tation to remain in bearing condition, while it 

 may be ])rofitable for ten years longer. 



A consideral)le list of varieties is described in 

 Pamphlet 18, mostly under their trade names, 

 and under each is given the type of land to 

 which it is best suited. 



Having grown the Willows, however, there 

 remains much to be done. The Preparation for 

 Marhrf is a highly technical business, demand- 



ing skill and experience and the necessary tools 

 and appliances. We have, however, in the 

 pamphlet alluded to ample dnections and 

 numerous illustrations of various appliances 

 used for cutting, peeling, buffing, drying, &c. 



It would seem from a perusal of the Cultiva- 

 tion of Osiers and WiUoirs that the industry is 

 one well suited to the climate and soil of Ire- 

 land. Although it does not follow that all wet 

 soils would suit all varieties, there are great 

 possibilities in the banks of some of our Irish 

 rivers, where the soil is good, but subject to 

 flooding. It would be a very good plan if a 

 survey could be made of land suitable for 

 Willow growing, but unsuitable for ordinary 

 farming owing to periodical flooding or other 

 causes. 



This maj' be done while sui'vey work is being 

 carried out in connection with the hoped-for 

 revival in forestry, or perhajjs the lately-con- 

 stituted Committee of Arboricidtm-e of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland could 

 collect information regarding the i)ossibilities of 

 the industry in Ireland. The Irish Forestry 

 Society, too, might interest itself in what might 

 prove to be a remiuierative rural industry, and 

 through its members in various parts of Ire- 

 land gather together particulars of available 

 land and the demand for Willows in Ireland 

 and Great Britain. 



Plants for Dry Shady Places* 



.\ (iui.AT many problems confront the gardener 

 from time to time, and one of the most difficult 

 to solve is how to furnish a dry, shady situa- 

 tion with plants. Usually such a place faces 

 north or east, a sloping bank, or the space 

 underneath large trees. The soil is usually 

 poor from being permeated by roots of ti'ees, 

 which can forage afar for food, or it may be 

 composed of stones and rubbish mixed with 

 poor soil whicli has been excavated elsewhere. 

 Wherever there is a fair degree of moisture it 

 is possible to grow a fair number of plants, but 

 the number adapted to withstand both drought 

 and shade is limited. As a rule, they are those 

 with creeping underground rhizomes, capable 

 of storing a considerable amount of food as they 

 grow, and vigorous enough to make their way 

 th)'ough the poorest and driest of soils. 



A good deal depends on giving the plants a 

 fair start in such a position, and if a consider- 

 able area has to be plnnted, it will be well to 

 try and fork it over as well as possible. Tliis 

 is not always easy, for the reasons aforesaid. 

 Roots, stones, &c., all make the work laborious, 

 and perchance at the time expensive, neverthe- 

 less it will pay in the long run. A few loads of 



