THE HAZEL 63 



fessed himself to be half a convert to this belief, 

 and the practice of " dowsing " as it is there called, 

 is still common in Corn Avail and other western 

 counties. According to the local superstition, the 

 rod is guided to the metalliferous lodes by guardian 

 pyxies, the "kobbolds" of the German miner. It 

 was no doubt this popular term " dowsing " which 

 suggested to Scott the name of Dousterswivel, 

 the charlatan in " The Antiquary," who uses a 

 forked Hazel-rod in his magical performances. The 

 rhabdomancist is stated to feel a sudden accelera- 

 tion or retardation of the pulse, or a sensation of 

 great heat or cold, at the moment of discovery. 



In many places an ancient custom prevailed 

 which it was thought unlucky to omit, of going 

 a-nutting on Holy Rood Day, September 14th ; 

 whilst the practice of burning nuts on All- 

 Hallows Eve, October 31st, alluded to by Burns 

 in his " Hallowe'en," and by Gay, was so general 

 that the vigil was called Nutcrack Night. The 

 Yicar of Wakefield and his neighbours, it will be 

 remembered, religiously cracked nuts on All- 

 Hallows Eve. 



The wood of the Hazel is a whitish red, close 

 and even in grain, soft, highly elastic and easily 

 split, and has been used in turnery, whilst well- 

 veined veneers are obtained from the larger roots. 

 Under the microscope it exhibits some very broad 

 pith-rays, radial lines of small vessels and nearly 

 circular annual rings. The tree is mainly grown, 

 however, as coppice, its shoots being useful for 

 hampers, for " corf" rods (i.e. for baskets used in 



