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Show LEADS' rorni Growing the Basket Willow A basket willow may be any one of about 200 species of willows which produce long straight rods suitable for weaving into baskets although of course some species have been found superior to others. In Europe the basket willows have been cultivated culti-vated as a farm crop for many years but the industry has not yet reached full proportions in America, although al-though American manufacturers say that they prefer American-grown American-grown willows whenever available since they are heavier and more durable than are the imported stocks. CHOOSING THE SPOT In spite of the fact that willows will grow almost anywhere, except in soils extremely alkaline or extremely ex-tremely acid, it will pay the prospective pros-pective grower to locate his holt with some care. The following considerations con-siderations should be kept in mind: 1. Plant if possible, where the water table lies from two to six feet below the soil surface. Such location will provide the necessary moisture yet will supply a surface dry enough for cultivation. 2. Do not plant along a stream bottom, sheltered by other tree growth. Willows require a free circulation cir-culation of air to minimize the attacks at-tacks of fungi and insects. The most successful holts are placed where they receive the full sweep of the winds. 3. Do not plant near waste lands which are heavily infested with weeds. It is absolutely necessary to keep the willow planting free of weeds from the start since the young plants are not strong enough to keep the weeds down without help, and it is a difficult matter to keep a holt clean which is being continually re-seeded re-seeded from nearby wasteland. 4. Place the holt in a convenient location, both for ease in handling and also that it may be under constant con-stant supervision to discover possible possi-ble insect or fungous attack. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL An excellent procedure, if new land is to be used,' is to break it seed it to corn or potatoes or some other closely cultivated crop, plow again in the fall, manure richly and leave it to weather during the winter. win-ter. The following spring it should be plowed, disked and harrowed, and leveled so that it will not harbor har-bor pools of water. If the' land is likely to be too wet for early spring handling, all preparation should be made in the fall since it is important that willow plantings be made early. WHAT STOCK TO PLANT A bulletin from the U. S. department depart-ment of agriculture offers the following fol-lowing suggestions as to varieties to plant: "In small holts, where insects and fungous pests can be controlled, American green is recommended. In large holts, however, it would be safer to plant the Lemleys,. since there would be much less likelihood of loss by epidemic. In places where the cost of peeling would not be great, the purple willow, which produces very high-class material, might be profitable." THE CUTTINGS All basket-willow holts are started start-ed from cuttings from shoots or branches. To secure such cuttings, it is a good plan to visit some nearby near-by holt to study the methods used and to inspect the stock. If no willow holt is near enough for inspection, send to growers of stock for samples of rods of the varieties desired. The proper time to make cuttings depends, naturally, upon whether the planting is to be done in fall or in spring. If planting is to be done in the fall, the best plan is to delay making the cuttings until several sharp frosts have ripened the wood. HOW TO PLANT A sharpened stick, or a sharpened iron rod may be used to make the holes. The rod should have a blunt point rather than a long, tapering one, to prevent leaving an air space below the cutting when it is placed. The cuttings, when set in the holes, should rise not more than two inches above the surface of the ground. Every cutting should have one or two buds near or above the surface. Set the cuttings in a vertical position and see that the hole is no deeper than necessary to receive it Planting should be done as soon as the holes are made, before the soil has had time to dry out and the soil must be firmly packed about the cuttings. For further information, send five cents to Superintendent of Documents, Washington. Washing-ton. D. C asking for Farmers' Bulletin No. (22. POULTRY HOUSE FLOORS Is it ever advisable to use dirt floors in poultry houses? If the soil is light and porous, and if there is good drainage, an earth floor is sometimes satisfactory. The chief objection to such floors is that they make the poultry house very dirty, and are frequently subject to rat-burrowing. rat-burrowing. A wood floor, raised 8 to 10 inches off the ground is to be preferred, and the most sanitary and durable floor is made of concrete. con-crete. In the long run this floor is the most satisfactory. |