Chap. i. ^j^ A P P A R A T U S. 33 



The Time to provide JoinU for your Rods 

 is near the Winter Solftice, if polTible between 

 the Middle of November and ChriftmaS''D2.y^ 

 or at furtheft between the End of Otfoher and 

 the Beginning o{ January, The Sap conti- 

 nuing to defcend till iQv^:ivdsNovemher^ and b^ 

 ginning to rife again when January is over. 

 The Stocks or Buts fhould be of Ground Ha- 

 zle. Ground Alh, or Ground Willow ; tho' 

 very good ones are fometimes made of Juni- 

 per, Bay-tree, or Elder-Shoots. Stocks 

 ought not to be above two or three Feet in 

 Length, and every Joint beyond it ihould 

 grow gradually taper to the End of the Top. 

 Chufe the Wood that Ihoots diredlly from the 

 Ground, and not from any Stump, becaufe 

 thefc latter are never fo exadtly fhaped. 



Hazle-tops are preferred to all others ; and 

 the next to them are Yew, Crab-treCjOr Black- 

 thorn. Some, indeed, ufe the Bambou Cane, 

 and fay it excels the bed Hazle. But as the 

 Hazle is freeft from Knots, and of the fined 

 natural Shape, it feems fitted for the Purpofe^ 

 If they are a little warp'd, you may bring 

 them drait at a Fire ; and if they have any 

 Knots or Excrefcences, you mud take them 

 od'with a fharp Knife: Tho', if podible, a- 

 void gathering fuch as have either of thofe De- 

 ftds. 



When you have got a Quantity of Joints, 



bind them in Bundles, in the Middle of which 



put a drait Pole, to keep them from warping, 



and let them red 15 Months, at lead, before 



' C 5 ufedj, 



