38 OSIERS AND WILLOWS 



ranks amongst the first, and although it attains the 

 height of 7 ft. 6 in. and frequently above, its Small 

 is quite of a good working quality. It cannot be 

 regarded as a heavy cropper, which probably accounts 

 for the unusual quality of the Small, and will when 

 on the market command one of the top prices. A 

 rod that it is certainly well worth cultivating where 

 the soil suits. It was found growing on a strong 

 marl, and probably will do equally well under the 

 same conditions in this country. Plant 20 in. by 

 20 in. 



" Mottled Spaniards," the best of the several rods 

 known as " Spaniards," and quite different from a rod 

 called by the same name and grown in East Anglia. 

 Is easily distinguishable by small red blotches, produc- 

 ing a mottled appearance on the bark on the upper 

 part of the rod, when the growth is completed and the 

 wood ripe. A heavy cropper ; shoots, 5 ft. to 7 ft. 6 in. 

 long; fairly sound quality; makes useful two-year- 

 olds ; suited to all general work ; prefers a damp, cool 

 warp or loamy soil, well drained ; and makes equally 

 good white or buff. Plant 20 in. by 20 in. 



" Lincolnshire Dutch," a vigorous grower closely 

 resembling " French," described above, and chiefly 

 grown in the waterbasin of the Trent (Gainsborough 

 district) ; much prized by growers of that locality as a 

 good cropper. Thrives well on a heavy warp land, 

 subject to freshets of water. Not regarded by the 

 high-class basket-maker as a first-quality willow. 

 Shoots, 4 ft. to 6 ft. 6 in. long. Plant 18 in. by 18 in. 

 " Stone Rod," the hardest-wooded of the triandra 

 species, makes the choicest white or buff. Its natural 

 defect is that it grows so bent at the butt a feature 

 associated with all the very best quality rods. This 



