THE WOODLOT STARTED FROM SPROUTS 121 



The basket, willow is a variety of the willow family that is 

 especially adapted for this purpose. The common willows do 

 not yield rods of high grade. Most of those in use have been 

 imported f rorn Europe. The willow is not a tree that demands 

 water. It grows best on rich, moist, well drained bottomlands. 

 It will thrive on land subject to inundation provided there is 

 good drainage. It will not grow well under swampy con- 

 ditions. If the land is flooded for long periods of time the 

 willow will not live. The species commonly planted are the 

 Welsh or purple willow, the Lemley, patent Lemley or Caspian 

 willow, the American green or almond willow and the common 

 white willow. 



The basket willow is propagated by cuttings from one year- 

 old shoots cut into sections lo inches to a foot long. These 

 are planted in rows in the willow bed or holt from i6 to 20 

 inches apart, the cuttings being spaced from 6 to 9 inches 

 apart in the rows. The cuttings are either forced into the 

 ground or set in holes made by a stick or sharp iron. They 

 are planted upright with the buds up so that only an inch 

 remains above the ground. Close planting retards the growth 

 of weeds and results in greater yield per acre and in straighter 

 and less branchy rods. 



The land for a willow holt should be thoroughly cultivated 

 as for a field crop and limed and fertilized with wood ashes. 

 On land never flooded the soil should be deep and moist, but 

 need not be necessarily rich. If land is subject to overflow 

 it must be well drained. Such land does not need fertilizing. 

 Ordinary soil must be fertilized every 4 or 5 years. Cultiva- 

 tion is necessary, for the willow is very intolerant of shade 

 and is easily crowded out by weeds. Three or four hoeings 

 must be given the first year and two the second. Later the 

 willows will be thick enough to shade out the weeds. 



The rods should be cut close to ths stool. If cut below 

 the ground the rods will be brittle. If cut too far out from the 

 stool the rods will be apt to curve at the base. Rods to be 



