2/4 Forestry Quarterly. 



Care should be taken to have the rods of one grade as nearly 

 uniform as possible. The smaller the rods are the higher will be 

 the price. Farmers frequently discard the smaller rods because 

 such stock requires considerable time to peel, which renders the 

 margin of profit small. They fail to realize that basket makers 

 not only appreciate the value of small rods, but require them in 

 making certain ware. Manufacturers are obliged, therefore, to 

 order imported rods of small sizes. 



A serious objection to home-grown willows is that a good many 

 rods are split during the process of peeling. The purple willow 

 splits very easily, especially if the operator is not trained in the 

 proper method of peeling. Proper handling of the rods must not 

 end with peeling, but care should be exercised after peeling. They 

 should be bleached quickly -in the sun and thoroughly dried in the 

 open air, after which they may be stored in a dry, dark place. 

 When thoroughly dry, they are tied in bundles about a foot in 

 diameter at the base, three bands to each bundle, one near each 

 end and the third near the middle. The rods in the bundle must 

 be as nearly parallel as possible. 



There is constant demand, especially among willow furniture 

 makers, for white, sap-peeled rods in large quantities. Unfortu- 

 nately it is difficult to convince growers that the demand for 

 willow rods of highest quality is increasing. It is a phenomenal 

 fact that in a country where all lines of work have taken such 

 immense strides during the past two decades, that the willow in- 

 dustry has not been more fully developed, and that every year 

 large quantities of the best grades of willow rods and manufac- 

 tured willow-ware are imported from Europe. 



Price of Home-Grown Rods. 



The prices of willow rods are determined by a number of fac- 

 tors. At present imported rods cost from 7 to 10 cents per pound, 

 while the same quality of home-grown rods fluctuates between 5 

 and 7 cents. The price depends upon the following factors : 

 Grade and quality of the rods, the proximity to market, scarcity of 

 rods, owners' knowledge of the market, the cost of growing the 

 willows, and the price of imported manufactured ware. 



A number of basket makers buy their willows green. This is 

 especially the case in western New York. In the fall basket 



