248 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 
as fast as on moist soil. Avoid locations where stagnant water 
stands in summer. Among the best situations is along the riv- 
ers and brooks that pass through a level country, and on small 
islands which frequently are found in the midst of streams, or 
swales or hollows. If these places are occasionally quite wet in 
winter, it does not seem to injure seriously the basket willows. 
In preparing the soil for this purpose care should be taken 
to make it very rich, and, if necessary, for best growth it should 
be heavily manured with stable manure, and as carefully pre- 
pared as if for a crop of corn. The best time for planting is in 
the late autumn, or very early in the spring, and the best cuttings 
are those about twelve inches long. Put these cuttings in so 
that their tops are even with the ground, but do not cover them 
with earth. Some growers prefer to set the cuttings about 
four inches apart in rows twenty inches apart for best results. 
This gives a thick, close growth, which sufficiently shades the 
soil between the rows that weeds cannot grow there. If the 
plants should prove to be too thick, every alternate one can be 
grubbed out after the third year. This method will require about 
65,000 cuttings to the acre. Other growers prefer to set twelve 
inches apart in rows three feet apart. This gives a chance to 
work between the rows with a horse, which is quite an advantage 
under some conditions. This method requires about 15,000 cut- 
tings per acre. 
On land that is wet late in autumn the willows are liable to 
grow too long, and not ripen their shoots, which is an important 
consideration in the growing of basket willows; since, if the 
shoots are not ripened at the time growth ceases, they are worth- 
less for basket purposes, being soft and brittle. The rods should 
be cut the first year, even if of no value, for if the cutting is 
delayed until the second year, the plants will have branched, and 
will produce much less valuable material. The rods should be 
cut as near the surface of the ground as possible. They should 
then be tied in bundles about ten inches in diameter, and, if it 
is intended to sap-peel them, these bundles should be placed in 
running water, standing upright, until the leaves or sprouts 
appear in the spring, when they should be ready to peel. This 
method of peeling is termed sap-pecling. When it is intended to 
remove the bark by steaming or boiling, the bundles may be set 
up anywhere until dry, when they may be stored in sacks or in 
