Basket-Willow Growing I
INDUSTRY BEING FOSTERED BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. :
BY ELLIOTT MITCHELL.
Secretary Wilson’s statement that
there are no bad acres in the United
States is again brought to light
through the efforts of the Department
of Agriculture tp induce more general
attention to the culture of the basket
willow. There are very many farms
In tills country which contain some
low land, and through which runs a
small stream. This portion of the
farm is too often allowed to run
to waste, dense growths of weeds and
scrub prospering in the rich, moist
soil, and tlie locality rarely visited by
the farmer except when in search of
some stray cattle winch have come
down to the brook for a drink.
Although introkluced In this country
as curly us 1810, willow growing in,
America occurs only in restricted lo
calities throughout a relatively small
portion of the country. On account
of the Isolation of these groups of
growers with little or uo connection,
and because the growers are not In
touch with basket makers, there has
been little chance for improvement.
bundles of these puttings should then
be kept In running water until small
leaves or sprouts appear, when they
will be ready to ped.
Pretty White Willows.
Willows thus peeled are of a fine
white color, while those which un-
dergo steaming or Isiiling for the re
moval of the bark are of a dark color,
being stained by coloring matter con
tained in the bark; but experience has
shown that the articles made of boiled
willow are much more durable than
those made from the white rods of
spring peeling. The operation is so
simple that old persons Incapable of
arduous labor can make fair wages
doing this sort of work.
And yet, the farmer may ask, Is
there a market for willow ware in
this country? The United States con
sumes the largest amount of will««
ware of any country in the world.
From one district In Germany alone,
as far back as 1893, In spite of the
panic existing at that time, $230.000
Chemist Wiley on Pure Food.
Dr. narvey W. Wiley, the chief of
the Bureau of Chemistry of the De
partment of Agriculture, lias just re
turned from a tour of the British
Isles, France and Germany, where he
has been studying the preparation of
food products—packing, shipping, and
human consumption of foods.
Dr.
Wiley is a pure food man. He be
lieves that we should all have pure
food, or at least know what it is
adulterated with, and he is one of the
most active advocates in the country
of national pure food legislation.
"The question of pure food,” he
said, “is one that should be better un-
derstood, and more actively engaged
in by people generally. We have se
cured legislation enabling us to pre
vent the Importation of impure aud
harmful foods, but the people are ap
parently careless in regard to domes
tic manufacture. There is one feat
ure of the pure food Investigation
CONTROL OF CANAL MATTERS.
NO OTHER
Transfer to the State Department
Under Secretary Root.
In Perfect Adaptability Under all Conditions to
It seems to be generally accepted
that the control of all matters in con
nection with the construction of the
Panama canal Is to be transferred
from the War Department to the
State Department. Under the law the
work is to lie performed under the di
rection of the President, and lie origi
nally intrusted it to Secretary Tart on
______
the r general ground
that —
all national
eUgiIleering works were properly the
business of tlie War Department, it
is now realized that Secretary Taft
has a great deal more than his pro-
The Strong Old Hickory
MANUFACTURED BY
Kentucky Wagon Manufacturing Co
louisville ; ky .
From Washington Post.
government
portionate share of
work and responsibility, and it is
with a view of relieving him of a por
tion of his official iiurdens that the
President suggested the advisability
of the transfer of the Panama Caual
work to the State Department
Secretary Hold's acceptance of the
trust would enable Secretary Taft to
devote more of his time to the con
sideration of Important questions af
fecting the government of the Philip
pines and the business of the army
generally. It is known that Secretary
Taft has no personal ambitions in
connection with the Panama canal
work, and Is entirely willing, as a
matter of general expediency, that its
supervision should be transferred to
Secretary Hoot as the head of the
State Department.
Secretary itoot, however, with all
his ability for hard work, is under
stood to have no hankering after the
canal job.
LARGEST PRODUCERS OF FARM WAGONS IN THE WORLD
WILLOW IN THE PIT, SPROUTED,
READY FOR PEELING.
which appeals to me beyond all oth
ers—the effect of impure fowls on In
valids. People who are under tlie
cure of a physician, and are com
pelled to eat prepared foods should
know at least what they are getting,
if tlie foods which they buy as 'pure,’
are found upon analysis to contain
ingredients which have proven harm
ful to them, they should have some
recourse at law to punish tlie maker
of this fraudulent food. A simple in
stance is sufficient to illustrate tlie
point. There is at tills time a great
demand for gluten flours. They are
recommended for certain diseases,
and there are various preparations on
the market which are sold at high
prices. Many of tlie so-called gluten
flours contain but a small percentage
of pure gluten; they are ‘filled’ with
chalk and starchy substances, and are
not at all what is claimed foi them.
THE FLOOD OF NOAH.
This Is one example; a hundred others
could be named.”
Geology Proves the Foundation ot
American
Baaketa Made
in Richmond,
Virginia.
Kirk’s
GIANT KANSAS CORN.
Peeling Green
Willow for
Exciting Experiences of Boy Lost In
Field of Growing Grain.
Basket Work.
worh of fine willow ware
ported. Since that date, however, the
value of willow imports has decreased,
due, probably, to the increase of wil
low growing in this country.
Tile manufacture of willow Is what
might be termed a ‘•house Industry,”
in which the men. women and chil
Willows Grow on Corn Land.
dren are engage’d in peeling and split-
The general Idea is that -willows ting the rods and weaving the bas-
Will grow only on very Swampy kets uuder contract.
ground, but experience shows that all
serious attempts nia'de on well-
drained soli, even though of poor qual
Big Crops This Year.
ity, have been successful. The ground
Secretary Wilson has returned to
is prepared Just the smile ns It would Washington
n tour of the North
l>e for corn or wheat. Willow plant west where from
he was shown some
ing generally is done in the autumn;
should be in rows, the sets or cut great crop yields, lie expresses it as
tings, according to older methods be Ids belief that the farmers have more
ing placed about ten Indies In length money now than ever was theirs be
and planted In the ground until about fore, ami that with such full treasure
only an Inch and a half protrudes chests there is no danger of nil Indus
above the ground. Almost without trial panic. The year’s crop of
I wheat, corn aud oats will be latter,
according to Mr. Wilson’s experienced
Judgment, than were the big crops of
last year, lie says that the area capa
ble of raising durum or macaroni
wheat Is now pushing well into the
desert
The yield of this
wheat
year, it is believed,
will exceed 20.090.000
bushels, a
wheat, by the way. which grows
where other wheat will not grow and
which six years ago was an unknown
thing among American growers.
Mr Wilson gives us the pleasing in
formation that housekeepers will find
the prices of meat, dairy products and
r
exception through the country wil
lows an* planted from 9 Indies to a
f<s»t apart In rows 2K feet to a yard
distant from one another, thus allow
ing from about 14.000 to 23.000 to the
acre. This method of wide planting
Is followed for several reasons, it of
course being cheaper to plant fewer
cuttings, and the cost of cultivation
being reduced, the wide rows allowing
for the use of a plow. It Is also un
derstood mid held by the higher
authorities that the more shoots from
a stool or stump, the greater the yield.
Where the cuttings have been planted
on meadow or corn land, the first year
the rows are hoed two or three times
and Inter run through with a 'light
MAKING WILLOW HAMPER,
plow. In Inter years only the plow is
poultry
lower tills winter than they
used. On bottomland, however, they
lire only cultivated once, ami there have been for some time, owing to the
heavy grain ero|»s. Fattening cuttle
fore only grassed with a sickle.
on corn at 50 cents a bushel, he said,
To Produce Straight Rods.
is not a profits hie performance, and
The Department of Agriculture has that Is what the farmer has been do-
found that though there may Is* ob log fur th<' past three years; but with
jection to close planting on account of this year's grain crops, the farmer
Increased cost and greater amount should find at the end of the season
of
cultivation
necessary. Istlli a that Ills margin of profit Is greater,
heavier yield and longer, more even- and luthe line course of events, meats
should be cheaper.
sized mid better rmls are obtained
straighter, less branchy, mid less ta
pering. While a yield of four tone
of green rials per acre may be oh
To Ma1:? Old-Fashioned Yeast.
tallied In twelve years where the holts
Boll two ounces of the best hops In
art- planted In rows three fia-t apart,
with a distance of one foot between | four quarts of water for half an hour:
holts, over six tons are obtained from strain and let the liquor cool down to
an acre planted 29x9 Inches, In only I the warmth of new milk, then put in
ten years. The Department also ad a small handful of salt aud half a
vises that the cuttings should be not pound of sugar, beat up one pound of
less than twelve Inches in length, anil the best flour with some of the liquor
planted with the buds pointing up and then mix well all together. Ix>t
ward. and that when placed In the this mixture stand until the third day.
ground each cutting should be j>er- then add three pounds of potatoes,
fectl.v periamdlcular. When willows boiled and maslied. let It stand a day
A report which seems to have come
from the Portland Exposition states
that a great object of curiosity there
is a corn stalk of mammoth size reach
ing almost up to the very roof of the
agricultural building. The history of
the stalk is perhaps as marvelous as
the object itself.
It appears that prior to the last
hot wave which swept over the coun
try, a farmer in Kansas sent his fif
teen-year-old son out to take a look
over tlie corn field and notify him of
tlie prospects. In order to do this tlie
son went to tile implement «lied which
this wise farmer had provided and
procured a ladder witli which he
climbed one of the cornstalks. After
surveying a fine growth of corn for
miles around, tlie boy started to climb
down, but in his excitement at tlie
prospects of the golden liarvest which
PEELED WILLOWS.
A Q vierter
öl .
Centur
AMERICAN CROWN
of unfailing service
SOAP
is a green soap, consistency of paste, a perfect
cleanser for automobile machinery and al^
vehicles; will not injure the most highly
polished surface. Made from pure vegetable
oils. If your dealer does not carry American
Crown Soap in stock, send us his name and
address and we will see that your wants are
supplied. Put up in 12^g 25 and 50 lb pails.
James S. Kirk& Company
the Biblical Account.
While tills is not true of the condi
tions in western New York, the trade
there demands only the cheapest
grade of the steamed willow. Hut
Stea Ill-peeled rods have ■ dark color,
and hence cannot be used for fiue bas
kets.
WAGONS APPROACH
CHICAGO, ILL.
There are Biblical doubters who scoff
at the idea that there ever was a great
flood, yet the testimony of the geolo
gists, to say nothing of Ignatius Don
nelly’s theory of the submerged conti
We have published some good ones spec
nent of Atlantas, proves that at one ially suited for farmers. Books that will help
time the entire earth’s surface was every farmer to make more out of his farm
covered with water. Professor Wright Write for our catalogue.
of Oberlin, who has made geology a |
WEBB PUBLISHING CO.,
life study, brings us new light upon the
subject. In writing on the subject of
St. Paul Minn.
the “Contributions of Geology to the
Creditability of the Flood” lie states |
that the level of the land changes con- ,
stantly. The highest mountains were i
once below the sea-level, as is proven
by the finding of sea-shells on tlie sum
mits of the highest peaks. All of Cen
Over 70 sizes and styles for drilling
tral Asia was once covered by water
and is now drying up. In fact the dry either deep or shallow wells in any kind
ing out process has been going on for of soil or rock. Mounted on wheels or
thousands of years. The Turkestan and sills. With engines , or horse powers.
Siberian low-lands were once sub Strong, simple and durable. Any me
merged, while evidence is shown that chanic can operate them easily.
tlie Desert of Gobi was once a body
SEND FOR CATALOGUE
of water equal to the Mediterranean in
WILLIAM
BROS., Ithaca, N. Y.
size and depth.
The valley of the Jordan in ages back
was covered with water to a depth of
from 1.000 to 1.400 feet, while changes
of level and climate in Asia seem to
prove that the Deluge once passed over
the entire country.
BOOKS
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Well Drilling
Machines
Uncle Sam’s “Conscience Fund.’’
The conscience fund of the Treas
ury is not, as is popularly supposed, an
idle fund which Is ndded to from tilin
to time, lies dormant, and is never
used. Contributions to this so-called
fund are turned into the regular gov
ernment receipts and on the books ap
pear under tlie heading “To Account
<’onsclenee.” This account was opened
by the United States government in
1811. It would not be fair to infer
from this fact that the American con
science had Its awakening at so late a
date in the country’s history, but that [
year witnessed tlie first return to the |
government, as the result of the "still,
small voice.” of money of which it had
been defrauded some time before.
President Madison found on his desk
one morning an unsigned letter in
which the writer confessed to defraud- I
Ing the government of $2, for which |
bis conscience had made him suffer
sorely. This amount was enclosed with i
the request that it be turned into the
National Treasury, the writer express- |
Ing tlie hope that this full restitution
and repentance would restore a clear
and easy conscience. Contributions
have since been received varying in
amounts from a 2-cent postage stamp
to ten thousand dollars or more.
Up to date the amount received from
those who have defrauded the govern
ment and become conscience-stricken
is over $400,900.
proves the
ABSOLUTE RELIABILITY
of the
iRemingto
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Self-feed Attachment increases
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Repeaters
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IF YOU WANT A JAC
his father would reap, he had failed
Send for our Jack Catalogue. Sure to
to notice the rapidity of the growth of
tain the description of exactly what you'
the stalk which he had ascended. As
quickly ns lie stepped down, so much
Hydraulic Jacks our Spec
The Marlin Fire Arms Co.
more rapidly the stalk seemed to grow,
Watson-Stillman Co.,
New
Haven,
Conn.
I
anil lie was no nearer the bottom than
40 Dey St., N. X. City.
when he started.
His father, noting the absence of
his son. saw that it would be useless
for him to limit through the jungle of
waving corn, so lie climbed to the top
of bis windmill and his anxious eyes
beheld his boy waving Ills red bandana
in despair. Ilastily summoning Ids
neighbor and his other two sturdy
sons, they proceeded with axes to
chop down the wicked stalk. Their
axes, however, failed to find the same
mark twice, so rapidly did the stalk
shoot upward.
_
.. . came
_______
Night
on _____
with
Producers of Northern grown acclimated trees and the best
out their accomplishing anything and
the boy was left to what appeared to
varieties for planting in Northern States.
tie a terrible fate. Like most Kansas
toys, however, he was awake to all
his opportunities, and existed for a
A Very Accurate Description.
long time on the raw corn, having con
sumed so much that he later notified
Hon. George S. Legare, a member ot
his parents by means of a message Congress from South Carolina and a
I horoughly tested Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries and Trees
written on one of the dried corn leaves
that he was getting so fat there was graduate of a Washington law school,
Ornamental, Small Fruit Plants, Shrubs,
danger of the stalk breaking with his has a sense of humor and enjoys a
weight. He wrote that he believed a good Joke even at the expense of the
Vines and Roses.
more balanced ration wvuld relieve members of his profession. He does
his fears, suggesting the planting of not uphold the “smart” lawyer and tells
beans at the base of the cornstalk as of a ease in his native city of Charles
an expedient.
ton where a pettifogging attorney was
However, before the beans could se
an old negro witness
cure enough growth, the drought cross-examining
asking the old darkey a num
came on and stopped the growth of ber After
of catch questions in au endeavor
the stalk and the boy was enabled
confuse him. he finally asked the
to climb down, thus saving his life. to
;■
A SPECIALTY OF
As mementos of the occasion, the lad witness his occupation.
‘Tse a cahpentah, sah.”
gathered up the corn cobs which he
.."bat kind
11 carPcnter?”
had thrown down from his lofty seat
amounting to something over four
••WTintC h 18.“.? aJ"ck.-*eK cahpentah."
Cut Flowers and Floral Designs. Also Vegetable Plants
mi » hat
a
carpenter ?”
bushels and a peek. and on these le
Iles a cahpentah what ain’t a fust-
has iMvn working, turning them into
shipped by express. Catalogue and Price List Free.
class
cahpentah,
sah!
”
corn-cob pipes which he is exhibiting
"Welk explain fully what you un-
at the Truth Bureau ot the Portland
Mail orders have prompt attention.
SeX the lawye?’ C“rpen,er t0 be "
Exposition.
should lie kept out " .............. ''"’ll! "'"I
fir'; ln'"" •’iirtl'ien veswl.
in b botti«
Oslers should lie cut the first rear. then
,le,‘ strain ! and
""1 « put
’ut ln
0»1«*" «"■> 11
Is ready
The
advat
even if no valuable material can I*'!!?,
rva'•' for
. use. T
"e advantage
of
obtained, for If tlifa fa delayed until; tn .yvMS’t a
ferments spontan*
the aecoml year, then* fa apt to l»e a KH|sb’ not requiring the aid of other
***■-*
* so **
* I X*
»•*»«-*
and ... kept ...
in „ a
tendency to * branch,
that less valu-
a,t- if
1 well <'ooked
___ ____
able material can !>e cut. Tills cut- «»I 1‘laee, it will keep six months or
Prior to 17S9 the Speaker of the
ting should be done during the winter, more. It lias
has been thoroughly trated
tratet! House of Commons was paid a salary
of \
5 pou
pounds
arid a fee of 6
a?
falu ,u
‘‘i,ik4"us iigbt jpound«
,,,f
“d« • - day
íñdTtL-vi
•
PUMBIDIV. LUC wir«U.
pounds on
on •▼•ry
every privat«
private bill
bill posed
passed
Che iPissoula Kursen)
Every Variety of Standard Fruit
THE
EVERBEARING
STRAWBERRY
J FLOWERING PLANTS AND SHRUBS
"Boss. ‘deed Ah claih to goodness Ah
dunuo how ter ’«plain any nio' bout a
Jack-leg catqientah ceptin’ hit am Jes’
de same dlffunce as dey Is betwix’
an a tuat-claaa lawyab, sab!
MISSOULA
NURSERY CO.
MISSOULA, MONTANA.