Show i 1I I 1 i Willow Farm Conducted by Uncle Sam I f r t Y r 3r4 r r I I ONE of tho many activities of tho department of agriculture at Washington Wash-ington Is tho conduct of a willow farm The purpose of the department Is to encoirago wlllowcraft uu Industry c v i Indus-try little followed In this country butt i but-t extensively practiced In Europe I f There willow la largely employed In the making of baskets and furniture When tho reclamation of Potomac I t Park from the flats and shallows n m j tho Potomac river at Washington h 1 t I 5 1 JI proceeded far enough tho engineering department planted Lombard poplars and willows along tho retaining walls These willows spread over many acres of tho land that had been dredged from the river bottoms The northwestern north-western half of this reclaimed land has been beautified with driveways lawns and flower plots but tho improvement im-provement of the southern part has not been begun The department of agriculture secured the use of this land as an experimental farm The growth of the willow trees probably suggested tho utility of promoting wlllowcraft In the United States and cuttings from many species of willows there are 170 were net out in nursery form Today tho depart incut has n willow plantation of mar acres extent |