30 OSIERS AND WILLOWS 



The third-year conditions for the grower greatly 

 improve, and the expenditure may be regarded as 

 typical of that for the next twenty years : 



Pre-war. In 1918. 



i 6. id. S. d. 



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



Hoeing three times . . i 10 o 2126 



Cutting and Carrying off .250 300 



Incidentals, filling in, etc. 10 o 12 6 

 5 per cent, interest on first year's 



outlay . . . . .150 i 12 o 



75 9 12 o 



The returns should be six tons of green rods at 5 

 per ton (this being an average price for first quality 

 and growth), or 30 in 1915-16. 



By this time the crop is at its best for quality, and 

 it should remain good for many years, provided proper 

 care is taken and reasonable seasons prevail. Much 

 heavier yields in certain exceptionally good seasons 

 have been known ; in fact, twelve tons to the acre of 

 green one-year-olds have been cut, though such a yield 

 is seldom obtained, and when it is the yield is invari- 

 ably far less the following season, owing, no doubt, to 

 the abnormal drain on the plants. 



The net cash results as shown thus work out as 

 follows, taking present-day figures (1917-18) as a basis 

 for calculation : 



Expenditure. Receipts. 



i s. d. s. d. 



First year . . 33 17 o First year . . 850 



Second year . 9 14 6 Second year * . 32 o o 



Third year . . 9120 Third year 2 . 56 o o 



53 3 6 96 5 o 



1 Providing the maiden crop was cut. 



2 A crop grown at Mount Sorrel, Leicestershire, which 



