THE CULTIVATION OF BASKET WILLOWS 21 



chance of securing a satisfactory crop during the 

 second season. 



On the contrary, a well-known grower states that 

 the maiden crop should never be cut until the second 

 year, on the ground that the young plants will have 

 expended little energy in shoot formation and root 

 growth will have been encouraged; but when this is 

 the case the rods are extremely tender, and on account 

 of the plant not having proper root support the rods 

 will be found only suitable for sale as brown, that is, 

 with the bark on. The third-year crop will compensate 

 for all previous loss. 



TYING INTO BUNDLES AND CARTING 



As soon as the willow cutters have cleared sufficient 

 ground they proceed to tie the rods into bundles, 

 often called bolts or bunches, with willow bands of 

 regulation sizes. The size varies with each willow 

 area throughout the country, but is constant for each 

 particular district. 



In the Midlands the bundles are tied each 36 in. in 

 girth, the band being fixed 8 in. from the butts. 

 Somerset growers tie up in " bolts " of 38 in. The 

 bolt of Berkshire and East Anglia is recognised as 

 42 in. in girth. In the Isle of Ely and East Anglia the 

 rods are bunched green with a girth of 45 in. 



Carting off the ground in many instances presents 

 a very serious obstacle, owing to the uncertainty of 

 the weather and the natural conditions of the soil in 

 the months between December and March, when much 

 of the cutting is done. I have introduced and had 

 in use a special vehicle for twenty years, and have 



