474 NORFOLK SOCIETY. 



BASKET WILLOW 



BY JOHN FLEMING, JR., ESQ. 



This subject has, of late, occupied the minds of a great part 

 of the farming population of this country. A number of arti- 

 cles have, at different times, been written on the subject, and, 

 without doubt, the publishing of them has been of service, by 

 awakening an interest in the minds of our agricultural and 

 horticultural friends respecting the practicability of cultivating 

 with profit, the plant called basket willow. These articles 

 argued, however, in many respects, a want of information and 

 a lack of experience on the part of their writers, with regard to 

 the subject. I do not intend by this remark to find fault with 

 the motives of those who have written them, nor would I 

 give the impression that these persons have no knowledge or 

 experience respecting the culture of willow. And yet, I am 

 frank to say, that the brevity of their articles, the exaggerated 

 statements they make of the profits realized, and the wrong 

 impression conveyed to the mind of the farmer, respecting the 

 kind of land on which willow can be cultivated, are likely to 

 produce serious results, by which many speculators may suffer 

 loss, and the farmer generally be led to lose all interest in the 

 cultivation of a plant that can be grown to perfection, and 

 with profit, by any one who has the right information respect- 

 ing the following particulars, namely : — the climate and soil 

 in which willow will grow to perfection ; the right kind of 

 plants, and the proper manner and time in which they should 

 be planted ; the culture they afterwards need in different 

 kinds of soil ; the best manner of harvesting them, and how 

 to prepare them for the market. All this must be understood 

 in order to the profitable cultivation of the basket willow. 



To notice all these particulars in the narrow compa'ss of an 

 essay, is impossible. For, to attempt to give them even a 

 passing notice, would expose the present writer to the same 

 kind of criticism as that he has in kindness bestowed on the 

 writings of others. I will therefore refer the reader for full 

 information on each of those particulars, to a Treatise on the 



