OCR Text |
Show GOVERNMENT IN WILLOW BUSINESS Free Distribution of Best Varle- tics Made from Nurseries Located Near Washington Wash-ington i The government is right in the midst of the harvest of a most unique crop at its experimental farm near Arlington, Ar-lington, just across the Potomac from Washington, where a corps of laborers in charge of trained foresters are preparing pre-paring for the annual free distribution of 100.000 basket willow cuttings. Uncle Sam is encouraging the growing grow-ing of high-grade willow rods in this country, and in the five years since the establishment of the holts at Ar-llRgton Ar-llRgton approximately a half million sciect cuttings have been distributed among farmers, with directions for planting and preparing for market. Particular attention is given to selecting se-lecting the varieties and strains best suited to the soil where the plantings will be made. Willow craft is an industry which L is constantly growing in importance in this country, yet the culture of basket bas-ket willow in the United States made very little progress until five or six years ago. Even now, practically all of the best grades of basket willow are imported from Europe, chiefly, from France. Experiments Ex-periments have shown that the best grades of willow can be grown in this country at a good profit. This year's harvest began early in March. Four approved varieties are being sent out, and 'inly the best and L most thrifty rods are selected for dis tribution. Cuttings for experiments, planting and information on mauago-' mauago-' ment of the willow holts are furnished those who make the request of the for-f for-f ester at Washington. The government recognises the importance im-portance of good cuttings, a point more commonly overlooked than the matter of cultivation. Only the best and most thrifty rods are selected for each season's distrioution. The forest service is receiving a - constantly increasing number of re quests for basket willow cuttings. These requests came from farmers all over the country, many of them coming through members of congress. |