i8 OSIERS AND WILLOWS 



or more before use. Peelings have also been used with 

 success for cucumbers and vegetable marrows, and 

 celery grown by the aid of willow peelings always 

 obtained first prize at a Midland Counties show. The 

 peelings, when ground down into a fine powder, are 

 found to be a fine fertiliser for many kinds of 

 plants. 



HARVESTING 



The termination of the growth and the ripening of 

 the wood will be determined better by the fall of the 

 leaf than by the calendar. This stage varies in England 

 from the end of October to the middle of November. 

 When the leaf has nearly all fallen the rods are ready 

 for cutting, but it is not advisable to commence cutting 

 at this early period except for the purpose of buffing, 

 which operation should be begun on the earliest possible 

 date, in order to take full advantage of the short mild 

 season before Christmas. 



It will be found profitable to leave a portion of the 

 one-year-old crop standing for two-year-olds. This 

 undoubtedly gives the heads a rest, and the succeeding 

 crop of one-year-olds will be found taller and heavier 

 than that from the heads which have been cut each 

 year. This practice might be carried out about every 

 fifth or sixth year. Another good practice is to cut 

 out with a sharp knife or fine shears all the smaller or 

 rough growths. This will amply repay the grower for 

 the labour expended, for, if left on the heads, these 

 worthless growths will draw a certain amount of 

 vitality from the head, and ultimately get smothered 

 by the more vigorous rods, and need to be sorted out 



