EXPENSES AND RETURNS 29 



The returns to be set against this expenditure vary 

 very much, and are dependent on the season. Some 

 land planted at Barrow, Leicestershire, with Black 

 Maul, Black Germans, Mottled Spaniards, and Long 

 Skins, produced two tons to the acre, and these were 

 sold at 4 2s. 6d. per ton on the ground after it was cut, 

 whilst in another case many acres were planted the 

 following spring, and, owing to the very hot and dry 

 summer, the crop did not pay for cutting. This is 

 the usual risk experienced by farmers, but it may be 

 desirable to state that whilst willow growing is indis- 

 putably a profitable undertaking, it is nevertheless 

 always more or less risky in the first year. When the 

 heads are once established they go on yielding for many 

 years. 1 



The second year's outlay is much reduced, whilst the 

 returns are much greater and involve less risk, owing to 

 the plants having made a liberal growth of root during 

 the first year, so giving additional support to the 

 shoots : 



Pre-war. In 1918. 



I *. * I * d. 



Rent and Rates . . . i 15 o i 15 o 



Hoeing four times over . 2 10 o 3 10 o 

 Cutting and Carrying off (at 75. 6d. 



and IDS. per ton) . . . i 10 o 200 

 Incidentals and filling in plants that 



failed ..... 15 o 17 6 

 5 per cent, interest on first year's 



outlay . . . . .150 1120 



7 15 9 M 6 



The returns may be estimated at four tons of green 

 rods to the acre, sold in the Midlands at 5 per ton in 

 1915-16. 



1 The above figures deal exclusively with the crop when 

 sold as green. 



