244 Practical Forestry 



districts where carriage is reduced to a minimum and local 

 demand is considerable, osier cultivation gives a fair return 

 for capital invested ; but until we can get back the once 

 lucrative trade in baskets for fruit and other similar commo- 

 dities from the hands of our Continental rivals, profits of 

 any magnitude are quite precluded. 



There is little doubt that on soil which is unsuited for 

 farming purposes willow culture can be made fairly profit- 

 able, but it is a mistake to suppose that any marshy piece 

 of stiff ground will grow osiers, or that the planting and 

 tending are matters of small import. Quite the reverse is 

 the case. The willow will not thrive for long in water- 

 logged soils, though periodical inundations, particularly 

 during winter and early spring, are highly beneficial. In 

 addition, the soil must be well worked, the cutting of 

 rods carefully and systematically carried out, and the 

 clearing of the ground must receive strict attention, else 

 deterioration of the crop will quickly ensue. Previously to 

 planting the cuttings or sets, the ground should be ploughed, 

 harrowed and consolidated, all objectionable weeds being 

 destroyed. 



For some considerable time to come there is bound to 

 be a dearth of willows for basket-making, as our main 

 supplies have come from Germany and the Netherlands. 

 Here, then, is a chance for the owners of suitable land in 

 this country to set to work at once and revive a time- 

 honoured industry by planting up suitable grounds with 

 the most approved kinds of willow for basket-making. 

 That the undertaking, if wisely carried out, would be a 

 remunerative one is beyond question, and the excellent 

 results attained at such places as Leicester and Bedford 

 clearly prove that willow culture is a most profitable way of 

 utilizing naturally dampish land in any but the most 

 exposed situations. 



For the past few years the demand in this country for 

 high-grade willows has been greatly in excess of the supply, 

 in fact, hardly one-fifth of our requirements are produced 

 at home. Germany, previous to the war, exported willows 

 and rods to the value of about 42,000, this being an in- 



