. /.] PLANTATIONS OF OSIERS. 55$ 



deed, cuttings of any description require every encou- 

 ragement to enable them to root freely : But if there 

 be " a potato plant dibbled into the centre of each 

 interspace, " after the planting of the willows, even sup- 

 posing them to be two feet apart, we presume the land 

 must be greatly impoverished, the new planted cuttings 

 retarded in growth, and the ultimate advantage dimi- 

 nished in no inconsiderable degree. It may be suffer- 

 Me to place a potato plant in the centre of each inter- 

 space, where the willows are four or five feet distance from 

 each other, and when rooted plants are used ; but never 

 when the distance is only two feet, even although root- 

 ed plants were used. 



After the planting of the osiers, they must be care- 

 fully hoed and cleaned : Nothing contributes more to 

 the rearing of a good crop, after due preparation, than 

 cleaning. We know of several plantations of osiers, 

 which have been formed at considerable expense, but 

 having afterwards been let run wild, the crop at pre- 

 sent is not annually worth a fourth part of the sum it 

 would have been worth, if it had been duly kept clean 

 by the hoe. Even when the expense is compared with 

 the advantages, the balance is greatly on the side of 

 cleaning. If the work of cleaning be attended to from 

 tlie first onwards, the expense may be estimated at from. 

 25s. to 35s. per acre per annum, according to the nar 

 ture of the soil ; but in no case perhaps will it cost 

 more than 2/. Sterling. And money expended, at the 

 above rate, upon the plantation, will be found to yield 

 a return of 300 or 400 per cent, per annum! 



The spring hoeing of the willow plantation should 

 always be performed by a deep hoe of small breadth, in 

 order that the earth may be stirred to several inches of 

 Indeed, were it not for the great increase of 



expense, 



