In regard to the cultivation of osiers, very differ ent opinions prevail ; originating,-it is probable, ftom too limited experiments, combined with the diversity of sot and climate. Mr Philippe, whose opinions are entitled to attention, conceives, that 'autumn and not spring is the meet proper season for plant ing willows ; the stagnation of the juiries, he con siders the true criterion whereby to regulate the pe riod, but not on .account of the net so much as on account ofthe trunk ; for if the shoot be severed when the sap is in circulation the parent plant bleeds to death. The osiers which he planted in the first week of October, he Found to have struck roots about Christmas, though there was no external sign. of vet. getation. In prosecuting this subjeot, Mr Philipps observes, that he made a plantation in autumn, and filled up part of the ground which was vacant in the following month of Murdh with additionalsetz. The latter were the-further advanced in May, but in June the autumn plants had the advantage, and continued: growing well while many of the others died. In summer, he " when the fibres have been formed before the winter, or when a tendency to form them has been observed by the swelling of the bark, and particularly -at the eye, the plant is enabled to charge itself with a sufficient portion of the juices to answer the demand of spring. Therefore, he con cludes, that the proper rule is to plant ases:rit in au tumn as the shoots maybe cut, without injuring the parent stock. - The cultivator lays on the ground in beds or burrows 18• feet broad, digging ditches. nine feet. wide on each side. The upper sutfi;oe of the -ditches, to the depth of 14 inches, is thrown on the-beds, and the remainder of what is excavated from them is used for turf or fuel. The beds, new consisting of about two feet and a half thick of solid' earth above the sarface-ofthe substratum-or peat, -ere plantedlin the following antuum, and produce good crops.
Experiments have been made' by 'alien cultiva tors respecting the nitableness of different soils,- and after having borne different kinds of gran. Mr Sheriff-has a -profitable mode of culture prac tised by tim in Bee:dead ; and shandies setae Jodi dour observations-on the subject in •-generd. He re-• marks, that' the finest and nest valuable twigs can the• •procured only from land cured of chilling, weeping springs ; and ifthe soil is oil of considerable Welt.. ness, it must terendered -so by tenure. Moderate moisthre is -favourable to the production-of fine bet Water constantly stmt is -Mimeo& at row poses to make the cuts -or shoots from 45 •4, 17 inches long, and to allow :row or .five inehes to-remain •above :ground, -to be cut over by the Mr fiece of the:soil, when the heads of the stocks in a series of year*, have become too bushy. By this operation, the vigour of the plant is renew. ed in the most decided manner. Mr Sheriff for gets, however, that, in the time he mentions, a much greater protrusion from -the earth will -hard taken place by the simple fregetation of the plant than necessary to leave room for cutting off the head: It is necessary, bilis- opinion, to trim and dress-the stocks from decayed Wood, and to -retain only .as many buds on each as the plant may be expectedlto bring to perfection in length and strength of shoot. Thus the superabundant stumps of old 'wood ore cat down, the weakest shoots extirpated in November and December, or March and April, and 'seldom more than two buds should be left on thosenlemett to stand and produce the next summer's growth. He considers the leading errors of those who have attempted the cultivation of osiers to consist in employing improper soil, peat earth, perhaps, -or poor begs ' • and also in defective preparation- of the soil, though suitable in other respects. Failure may, besides, arise from planting bad or •useless spe cies of osiers ; putting too few cuts in the ground.; neglecting their subsequent culture,•pertioularly.derb. mg die first spring and summer after.plantation ; *la lowing the shoots to be over after 'Christmas, -and before the middle or:March, which may admit of the stocks-being much weakened by hard frosts succeed% ing heavy rains, immediately alter the twigs bard been out, and before the wounds from the infirm have healed. By pureeing a system analogous to what is here exposed, he calculates the profits• df an acre of osiers at about L. 18, 10s. ;, and he aunt dons that he contacted to receive a sass between L.-880 and ,L. 250, for the produce of twelve statute acres and a half. It does not appear, however, time this was an annual.crop, and it is rather to be:infer red that willows of several. years growth formed cpart of it. Mr Sheriff's experiments and observation the gold medal of the Societr ihr the Encouragement of Arts and Manufactures; Another cultivator, Mr Wade, calculated his profile on fourteen acne which were planted with 12,000.
sets each, at inter!vais 86•lichee as ing to L. 10 per acre.
Among the expeeiments- on the relit: of soil nap be instanced a plantation made in-spring, of large cuttings, 18 behes long, thrust so far into the earth as to leave :foot or tn. incite protruding. Pint of tire :ground had been in wheat after comer and part, which was arm plaited{ had been sown With grass seeds. The plane! made a we vigorous shoot messing than at any. subteequent period, and .butt tier fated or: the Whole. Those which succeeded the wheat produced the beat osiers, and those which were planted :among:she:grass seeds the worst. Bosh. sand on a wrong dory/soil. From the diffsemoe-eraa; here, it has been concladod, • that, .as the aleamatt ground produced the beet crop, summer liailmitiar isiedeutIseeous.. A saber exam* is give* where, of 350 sets planted in garden ground, of which the soil was clay, 341 succeeded, producing, in the first year apparently, a bundle 38 inches in circum ference, and some of the osiers above 10 feet long. They were planted in the latter end of March, ar ranged in rows, between which was sown a crop of beans. Both the interval separating the plants and their age are arbitrary, as is also the extent of the plantation, and we must likewise add the quality of the soil, for experiments have not been made on a suf ficient scale to determine the fact. The most super ficial observer cannot fail to have remarked the compa rative slenderness of all plants crowded together, and the superior strength of those apart from each other. The sets of osiers, for several reasons, should be insert ed in regular rows : their age does not appear im portant, and no where is a more vigorous crop produced than from the root of the oldest tree de prived of its trunk. In general, previous prepare ' tion of the ground is profitable ; and plantations may thence be formed, which are to be annually cut over for baskets and such light utensils ; but the shoot is allowed to grow two, or even four years; if strong rods are required for larger and coarser work manship. The rapidity and certainty with which this plant vegetates, preserves it in a manner under absolute control, and adapts it particularly for - variety of mechanical purposes. Many cultivators recommend deep insertion of the shoot into the ground ; but here there is a limitation ; for if too deeply inserted, the vegetation will be less vigorous. At the same time, the powerful tendency to vegeta tion in a willow is rather an exception to ordinary rules, and although the lower part be injured, roots may spring nearer the surface. But it as not to be overlooked, that if a tree be transplanted into too deep a pit, the root, instead of striking out new fibres, remains inactive, and the tree withers and decays ; or if seeds be deposited too deep in the earth, no vegetation will ensue ; whereas, even those on the surface will put forth a radicle, and establish themselves there. In the former case, they either 'lose the germinative faculty, or are destroyed ; but, if a tree be transplanted into a shallow pit, the root will spread, and the whole exhibit luxuriant vegeta tion. These are facts which demand greater atten tion than they receive, and the depth at which the shoots of osiers are inserted should be carefblly observed. Nevertheless, we must repeat, that it does appear deep insertion is not equally noxious to them as to other plants.
It is commonly understood, that willows flourish no where but with abundance of water. Undoubted ly, adequate humidity is very essential ; but this ge neral position is quite erroneous, as experiment and observation daily testify. Willows growing in water have almost invariably a sickly aspect, few strong or healthy scyons spring from them, and their vegeta tion is never so vigorous as when they are at some distance from it. Every plant has a predilection for a particular place, where the conditions of its aliment • .and vegetation concur. The willow requires a con siderable degree of humidity, though it will also be seen vigorous on drier soils ; but the vicinity of water is an essential quality in selecting a suitable spot for a plantation. The purposes to which the plants are to be applied must be considered, and the circumstances of their growth so regulated, that they become suitable and adapted for them. There is s little doubt, that, with due notice and consideration, this plant may receive great amelioration by cul ture.
All plantations must be well fenced against cattle, as the willow, both shoot and leaf, is a favourite kind of food; and as some particular caterpillars in fest the plant at certain seasons of the year, strip ping it totally bare and injuring its vegetation, care should be taken to remove them as effectually as pos sible. (s.)