PREPARATION AND MARKETING 71 



overhang the sides about 2 ft. Then place the next 

 row higher up the top, the butts being in a line with 

 the ridges and the tips overlapping the butts of the 

 first series. Repeat this on the opposite side with 

 longer stuff, so that the top series of bundles have an 

 overlap of about 18 in. over the butts on the other side 

 which come level with the ridge. Secure these bundles 

 with ordinary thatch pegs into the body of the 

 stack. In this condition the willows will keep sound 

 and saleable for several years, so that a grower may 

 await the best market. Large quantities of brown are 

 accumulated by some growers, much ultimately being 

 wasted, whilst others manage to dispose of all their 

 " brown " each year. 



It may be gathered, therefore, that only rods of the 

 same variety and of approximately the same size and 

 length should be included in the bundles. The rods 

 should stand upright in the bundles and be secured 

 by willow bands tied in a careful manner. 



The fact that the size of the bundle varies with each 

 district makes trading difficult, and selling by weight is 

 now becoming more popular and should be adopted by 

 all. Leicestershire now has no standard size or weight 

 of bundles, but sells exclusively by the hundredweight, 

 including the bands. Nottinghamshire growers tie in 

 " half -bunches," weighing 35 Ib. of rods. A pound 

 extra is allowed per half -bunch for the two bands, which 

 are breeched. All growers in that county, as well as in 

 the adjoining parts of Lincolnshire, quote at the present 

 time a price per bunch of five stone of 14 Ib. Those 

 districts prepare and sort only into two sizes, called 

 millings and rods. 



In Huntingdonshire and Cambridge they are sorted 

 into sizes known as Small, Threepenny, Middleboro', 



