I 9 I2.] 



Varieties of Willows. 



osier (Salix viminalis), known as full tops. The former 

 species supplies the varieties most suitable for peeling white 

 or buff as one-year-olds. Many varieties of triandra are 

 less suitable for two-year-olds, owing to closeness of the grain 

 of the wood and the limited growth made in one season by 

 the choicest sorts. Some of the largest-growing varieties 

 of this group are more open in the grain, and consequently 

 better suited for providing the larger rods required by basket- 

 makers. After standing on the head three years this species 

 sheds its bark, a feature not common to other kinds of Salix, 

 and perhaps affording the readiest method of identification. 

 All varieties of this species thrive on a cool, strong loam, and 

 make the best growth in a wet season. In a dry period they 

 are very liable to honey fall, green fly, and blight. 

 The following are varieties of Salix triandra : — 



1. " Black Maul," a variety believed to have been brought 

 prominently to the notice of the trade by a practical worker 

 named Maul in Leicestershire, is one of the best willows for 

 all kinds of baskets subjected to long and hard service. It 

 is extensively and chiefly grown in Leicestershire and Not- 

 tinghamshire ; shoots, 4 ft. to 6 ft. 6 in. long; requires a 

 rich, loamy soil, with strong, cool sub-soil ; is a heavy 

 cropper, and always realises good prices — £4. to £5 per ton 

 as green, and £22 to £24. per ton as white or buff. Plant 

 18 in. by 18 in. For the first two years this willow has a ten- 

 dency to grow curly-butted (with a bend at the butt-end), but 

 as the heads get established and the produce heavier, this 

 objectionable feature disappears, owing to the more confined 

 air space. Consequently close planting is necessary in order 

 to secure a straighter growth. 



2. "Black Italian," a superior and harder willow, thrives 

 best on a damp, alluvial loam, and its fertility is increased by 

 temporary floods. A "shy" cropper, it is not extensively 

 grown, except on land especially suited to it, when it will 

 produce six or more tons of one-year-old green to the acre. 

 This realises high prices, and is much sought after by makers 

 of the finest baskets or chairs in buff or white. As buff, its 

 colour is a rich, dark gold, and it whitens equally well. 

 £2$ per ton is not an unusual price for white or buff. Plant 

 18 in. by 18 in. ; shoots, 3 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft. 



