310 
prof. Norton’s laboratory. 
German basket makers generally, sending only 
the inferior qualities here, retaining the best 
for their own manufacture into baskets to be 
subsequently imported to this country. I have 
now at my residence, a lot of imported willow 
that cost from five to six cents per pound, one 
half of which is not really worth carting from 
the store to the dock. It is old and nearly rot¬ 
ten, so much so that it will break almost like 
pipe stems. 
It is principally from France and Germany, 
that we obtain our supply in this country. 
There is also a great quantity of willow from 
the continent imported into England. I do not 
see why it cannot be exported from the United 
States into England, as well as flour, corn, Yan¬ 
kee shoes and clocks. The willow grown in 
this country would of a stern necessity have 
the preference in market, as the crop woulcf be 
clean and free from breakage by packing in a 
ship’s hold, a great objection to nearly all the 
imported willow, a great quantity of which be¬ 
comes mildewed on the passage to this country, 
unfitting it to a great extent for use; yet, we 
are compelled to purchase this inferior stuff, or 
be idle. 
Many of your readers, I suppose, have stood 
on the banks of the Mosselle, the Seine, the Po, 
the Thames, the Mersey, the Kingston, the Trent, 
the Shannon, and the Liffy, and have there seen 
Gie thousands of acres of willow. 
Plenty of similar land, adapted to the growth 
of the willow, may be had within range of 100 
miles from New York at a low price, with the nec¬ 
essary buildings thereon. I can see no reasona¬ 
ble objection why the manufacture of baskets 
might not be combined with the growth of the 
willow. 
The experiment of growing willow on a small 
scale has been successfully made by the la¬ 
mented Jesse Euel, Esq., of Albany, and by Mr. 
Bement and Mr. James Wilson of the same city; 
by the Messrs. Prince, of Flushing, L. I.; Messrs. 
Brooksby and Brooksbank, of Hudson, and 
Willian H. Deming, Esq., of Deming’s Point, 
Fishkill. The latter gentleman hassupplied Mr. 
James Emott, of Poughkeepsie, with cuttings of 
a good quality, sufficient to plant about 15 acres, 
which were set out during the last fall and 
spring, and are now growing very promisingly, 
on the Fshkill Furnace Farm, Dutchess county. 
The Hon. Ambrose L. Jordan, also, has a lot of 
willow on his farm, at Hudson. 
In order to form a reasonable estimate of the 
profits of this business, it is only necessary to 
go and inspect the lots of willow on the prop¬ 
erty of the gentlemen named above, who will 
cheerfully, I am sure, state the prices received 
for a number of years, when it will appear that 
I am very moderate in my estimate of profits. 
Great care should be taken in planting wil¬ 
low in such soils as are best adapted for its 
growth. Some species will never yield a good 
crop on wet land, while others will not on lands 
that are dry. No man should plant willow on 
his land in large quantity, who has not a stream 
of water running through the premises. 
Should you deem this letter of sufficient im¬ 
portance for room in your valuable journal, 
and a necessity occur for another on the same 
subject, it probably may be sent. 
Watson G. Haynes. 
Garrison’s Landing , Putnam Co., N. Y. 
PROF. NORTON’S LABORATORY AND COURSE IN 
AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. 
We had the pleasure, a few days since, of 
passing an hour with Professor Norton, in his 
laboratory, at Yale college, New Haven. We 
found him in the occupancy of what was re¬ 
cently the president’s house. This has been so 
altered and arranged as to give the most conve¬ 
nient and ample accommodations to the profes¬ 
sor and his pupils, for their varied and intricate 
manipulations. The arrangements seemed in 
every respect to combine scientific principles 
with the most simple, yet efficient means for 
analysis and experiment; and in this respect, 
they afford an excellent lesson for the pupil. 
The object of this new department in Yale 
College is thus succintly stated: “This course 
is designed especially for the practical farmer. 
Those who attend it are not necessarily con¬ 
nected with apy other department of the col¬ 
lege, and do not require any previous prepara¬ 
tion. The subjects treated of are presented in 
such a simple and connected manner, as to be 
perfectly intelligible to all. 
“The substances of which the plant, the soil, 
and the animal consist are shown and describ¬ 
ed. The cultivation of the soil, the qualities 
necessary to its fertility, the means of improv¬ 
ing it by drainage, the composition and effect of 
the manures applied, are all topics of great in¬ 
terest, and naturally lead to the constitution of 
the crop, the theories of rotation, &c. The re¬ 
maining department is that of the animal, the 
character of whose parts is given, and with this 
the various theories of fattening and feeding. 
In this part of the course, the products of the 
soil are also examined, with special reference 
to their nutritive and economical value.” 
We are happy to learn that this new depart- 
