90 OSIERS AND WILLOWS 



of the cricket-bat willow. It is not surprising, there- 

 fore, that owners of land suitable should have been 

 attracted by this tree. As a matter of fact a large 

 number of trees have been planted during the last few 

 years with a view to meeting the future demands, 

 but we have it on the authority of Mr. Shaw one of 

 the largest buyers as well as a leading expert that 

 not more than one-fourth of the trees that are being 

 planted are the best cricket-bat willow." 



The increasing demand for willow timber for the 

 making of artificial limbs has practically denuded the 

 country of supplies suitable for this purpose. I have 

 received applications from French, Belgian and South 

 African Government Departments, asking if this 

 material is procurable in England. Unfortunately, 

 in spite of many inquiries I have been unsuccessful in 

 finding much of the right quality. Makers of arti- 

 ficial limbs for the Allied Forces have been compelled 

 to seek their supplies from America, where merchants 

 have done a large and profitable business in a variety 

 known in the U.S.A. as Salix nigra-Marsh, a variety 

 which is not common in this country. It is recorded 

 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin 

 No. 316, that this variety grows to 4 ft. in diameter, 

 5 ft. from the ground, and 140 ft. in height. The 

 bark of this particular variety is very corky, in some 

 instances being i| in. to 2 in. thick. The leaves are 

 3 in. to 6 in. long, a bright green, and rather shiny. 

 The timber appears, from its clean-cleaving qualities, 

 to be related to our English White Willow. 



The wood of the willow is light, smooth, soft and 

 extremely tough. It will bear more hard knocks 

 without splinter or injury than any other wood, and 

 has no rival for making cricket bats. There is nothing 



