OSIERS AND WILLOWS 



CHAPTER I 



THE CULTIVATION OF BASKET WILLOWS 



THE term " basket willows " defines those species 

 of plants of the genus Salix which are grown for the 

 making of basket- ware. 



Growers, merchants, and makers divide basket 

 willows into two main groups, viz., (i) Hard rods, and 

 (2) Soft rods. \Vhile these terms are used in a relative 

 sense only, they indicate the main difference existing 

 between the two classes. The " hardness " of a rod 

 depends upon the proportion of wood to the pith in 

 any given rod, as well as upon the closeness in the 

 texture of the wood itself. " Hardness," therefore, 

 in the sense that it is used by the basket-makers, is 

 determined by the working qualities of the rod for 

 basket-making. Hard rods belong to the species S. 

 triandra and S. amygdalina. The soft varieties belong 

 to the species viminalis and are more open grained in 

 the wood. They contain more pith, and as the rods 

 possess working qualities somewhat inferior to the 

 hard rods described above they are termed " Soft 

 Rods " by the willow- workers. 



Rods of the species S. viminalis have a very full top, 

 and hence they are known in some districts as " full 

 B 



