IQQ STRAW-PLAITING — A LOST ESSEX INDUSTRY. 



From Mr. Bidwell's collection also comes the neat, circular- 

 faced, wooden article, perforated by four holes, containing steel 

 straw splitters for four, five, six, and seven splints respectively. 



This, with its cover, is so neatly turned and finished that 

 Mr. Bidwell is justified in thinking it intended for use for fancy 

 straw work in a lady's parlour rather than for the hands of 

 peasant plaiters. (Fig. 3.) 



The bone " engines " deserve a few words, for certainly if 

 you examine them you will agree with me that the rustic lads, 



FIG. 3 — STRAW-SPLITTERS, FROM MR. E. BIDWELL'S COLLECTION. 



or men, who fashioned them had sharp eyes as well as sharp 

 cutting tools. 



Having secured a shank-bone of ox from a butcher, the lad 

 sawed the hardest portion into cubes or dice, then with a sharp 

 pen-knife and narrow chisel he fashioned the " engine." In the 

 centre is a sharply-pointed cone from which, a little below, 

 radiate the " cogs '' or cutting edges. 



Having fixed the engine in its homely wooden handle, the 

 labourer sold it to the straw plaiters at id. or more, according to 

 the number of cutting cogs contained therein. 



