42 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



lars per acre, leaving a balance in favor of the Mi- 

 chigan Plow of one dollar per acre. 



These are facts as near as 1 can state from what 

 experience I have had on common sward land. 

 Now how much better the crop is, I consider every 

 farmer who tries the experiment has a right to his 

 own opinion. But I am willing to risk my own, 

 thatit is not less than a dollar per acre, but have 

 no authority to dispute any man if he should say 

 it was five dollars. A. G. Sheldon. 



Wilmington, Nov. 28fh, 1853. 



CULTURE OF WILLOW FOR OSIERS. 



The attention of many persons has been turned, 

 from time to time, to the cultivation of the Osier 

 Willow, but with indifferent success, for the want 

 of accurate knowledge in the pursuit. The Wil- 

 low has already become an importent item in 

 the commerce of the country, as articles man- 

 ufactured from it are introduced into most all of 

 the occupations of life. Those interested in its 

 cultivation will find an excellent essay on the sub- 

 ject in the transactions of the Norfolk County So- 

 ciety, for 1852, by John Fleming, Jr., of Sherborn, 

 and from which some extracts will be given here- 

 after. The article below was prepared by Charles 

 Downing, Esq., of Newbury, and we presume may 

 be relied upon. 



The culture of Willow, for Osiers, when its 

 principles are well understood, is not difficult, and 

 the profits under good management are very great. 

 The fear that the supply may overreach the de- 

 mand is not only groundless, but, on the contrary, 

 it is susceptible of proof, thab for a long time to 

 come, the demand must increase far beyond the 

 proportional increase of production in this country, 

 it is but about fifty years since England received 

 almost her entire supply from the continent. The 

 long continued wars cut off this supply, and the 

 deprivation was so severely felt that it became a 

 matter of national concernment, and Premiums 

 were awarded for the formation of Willow Planta 

 tions. Men of every degree of means, of all ranks, 

 from the Peasant to the Lord, engaged in it, and 

 its cultivation extended very rapidly ; (the Duke 

 of Bedford having a plantation of one thousand 

 acres,) yet to the present time prices have not at 

 all declined, but rather advanced. Sang, in his 

 "Osier Plantations," in the year 1812, stating from 

 his own knowledge, says, some good plantations 

 have yielded, annually, for several years, a profit 

 of £25 to £30 sterling; some as high as £40 to 

 £45, but these very favorably situated, and tended 

 with great care. In 1852, from reliable informa- 

 tion from different quarters, the good plantations 

 yield from £30 to £40 nett, and some as high as 

 £50; American fields are equally productive, and 

 prices in New York, Philadelpha and Boston 

 about twenty per cent higher. 



A great discouragement arose at the commence- 

 ment of Willow Culture in this country, from the 

 failure of the most vigorous growers of Europe to 

 produce good Osiers — Viminalis, and the cele- 

 brated Longskin, of Nottingham — their most pop- 

 ular Osiers, are nearlv worthless here, not being 

 adapted to our climate. By one comprehensive 

 that difficulty has been disposed of. 



Dr. C. W. Grant imported all the European Osiers 

 of note, and, by careful experiment, ascertained 

 which are suited to our climate, and also which 

 varieties are most valuable. Among many that 

 have proved to be good, three have been found of 

 surpassing excellence: — 



1. Triandra — It is perfectly hardy, thrives in a 

 great variety of soils, and is as productive here as 

 any European Willow in its own country. Its 

 rods are long, tough, and pliable, and particularly 

 adapted for all kinds of split work requiring those 

 qualities. 



2. Forbyana — Another very valuable one in all 

 respects; and 



3. Purpurea, or Bitter Purple Willow — valu- 

 able in all respects as an Osier, and particularly 

 so for work that requires long, slender, unsplit 

 wands, of great toughness. The intense bitter- 

 ness of its bark and leaves renders it exempt from 

 the attacks of beasts and insects, and consequent- 

 ly adapted for making live fences. Lasting fences, 

 very ornamental and profitable, may be made of 

 it, producing a crop of Osiers yearly. This may 

 be characterized as the "Elegant Willow," its 

 leaves and shootsr considered ; but of the three, 

 Triandra is the most ornamental, having very 

 showy catkins. These compose a complete assort- 

 ment for basket-makers, supplying all their wants. 

 Salix Caprea makes a tolerable Osier, and, in con- 

 sequence of flowering very early, is useful for feed- 

 ing bees. Its catkins make a very beautiful ap- 

 pearance, being very large and of brilliant colors. 



To plant an acre, from ten to fifteen thousand 

 cuttings are required ; those of vigorous upland 

 growth possess for more vital energy than those of 

 lowland production, and make the most healthy 

 and productive plantations. Cuttings are used 

 from eight to fourteen inches in length ; ten to 

 twelve inches is probably the best for deep soils, 

 and not more than eight on very retentive soils ; 

 not more than three inches should be left out of 

 ground. They are set in rows three feet apart, 

 and from twelve to sixteen inches distant in the 

 rows. The first two crops will be in proportion to 

 the number of cuttings, but after four or five years 

 they will entirely occupy the ground, even if more 

 than sixteen inches apart ; but when the value of 

 the early crops is considered, twelve inches will be 

 found to be the most economical distance. 



Willow will grow in any soil, and thrive in a 

 great variety of soils, but gives its best returns on- 

 ly in such as are well suited to its habits. It is a 

 lover of moisture, but does not tolerate standing 

 water, or soil sodden with water nearer than with- 

 in one foot of the surface during the growing sea- 

 son. Overflowing in winter is not objectionable, 

 nor is overflowing from a freshet in summer, that 

 soon passes off. A very deep, rich, sandy loam, 

 diluvial and alluvial, such as constitutes many bot- 

 toms not so much elevated above the stream that 

 winds through them, that by diving down -in the 

 previous soil two or three feet in midsummer, the 

 roots cannot find moisture — if kept clear of ram- 

 pant weeds, will give an astonishingly vigorous 

 growth, yielding three or four tons per acre. The 

 occasional overflowing that would render such of 

 little value for crops, would be rather advanta- 

 geous to willow. Any retentive soil rich and deeply 

 worked — any clayey loam, or even heavy clay, 

 freed from water by draining, if necessary, will 

 give great returns as Osier fields. Deep alluvial 



