244 
Willows and their Cultivation. 
year. A Lancashire basket-worker tells me that this happened 
to be the case in the season of 1893. 
In the case of leaving the shoots for a second year’s growth 
that particular part of the holt should be brought back again to 
the one-year system afterwards, and another part of the plant- 
ing reserved for the portion for the two-year growth next 
arranged. When it is decided to leave the shoots upon the 
stools for the second year it is desirable to remove all the small 
crooked or rough rods, only leaving the sound rods to grow on. 
If the second year’s growth has been allowed to remain upon 
the stools with the object of providing cuttings to plant up an 
extended area, the finest rods may be selected and put in their 
places in carefully prepared ground, as rods in their entirety 
(that is, without shortening them into cuttings), and left in 
that state to be cut off at the harvesting period in the following 
season. An excellent crop of Osiers will thus be secured and 
the new ground planted up at the same time. 
The cultivation of the W illow in woodlands as a timber tree, 
in parks and gardens for decorative effect, and in other situa- 
tions more or less connected with arboriculture or horticulture, 
does not quite come within the scope of our present purpose, 
but we may point out that the growing of Willows might be 
safely extended not only in holts and properly prepared beds, 
but as hedges and for shelter the Willow might be introduced 
with great advantage, with safe return from an economic point 
of view, and with good effect considered decoratively. The 
Bitter Willow is not, as a rule, damaged either by cattle or 
game, so that willow hedges could be planted in certain positions 
on the farm or homestead where thorns and other hedge plants 
are now used. Several methods of planting are available. Willow 
stakes four or five feet in length might be used, the ends 
sharpened, and pushed ten or twelve inches into the ground, 
which must have been properly prepared by trenching, as pre- 
viously shown, cleared of weeds, and manured. Should the 
ground be low and hold stagnant water, a ridge should be 
thrown up whereon to place the rods. After the “ sets ” have 
been placed in position, they may be temporarily “ wattled ” or 
laced at the top to hold them in position. Or they could be so 
arranged, sloping at opposite angles, as to form a kind of lattice- 
work, and fixed at the top as before. The rapidity of growth of 
the Willow quickly secures a good fence, and an efficient shelter 
for either stock or vegetation, and it eventually becomes almost 
impenetrable, whilst the natural growth in the shape of shoots 
can be utilised for the same purposes a? the usupl produce of a 
willow holt proper, 
