334 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



it may be arranged for at any time during the non-active 

 period of vegetation, and should, according to Burckhardt, 

 take place in late autumn, it is most frequently carried out in 

 early spring before the flow of sap commences, the softening 

 of the bark for easier peeling being afterwards accomplished 

 by soaking in water. If the coppicing takes place whilst the 

 sap is in flow, however, the stools are apt to suffer, and soon 

 become weakened in productive capacity, more especially 

 when cut over regularly every year. Old willow-stools, that 

 have been properly treated, have somewhat the bristly 

 appearance of a hedgehog. 



In place of disposing of the finer varieties of basket- 

 withes with the bark attached, it is usually advisable to peel 

 them before offering them for sale, as the stripping of the 

 bark can take place with the lightest descriptions of labour, 

 and is otherwise remunerative ; it also frees one from the 

 necessity of forcing a sale at what may be considered an 

 insufficient price. Withes cut in late autumn can be packed 

 in bundles, brought under roof, and covered with straw, &c. 

 in order to keep off currents of air likely to dry them. When 

 the active period of vegetation comes round in spring, the 

 bundles are placed with the cut ends in water, which ascends 

 in the shoots like sap, and enables all the bark to be 

 peeled off quite easily with the hand, after the withes have 

 been pulled twice or thrice through a clip shaped like an old- 

 fashioned wooden clothes-pin. When sorted, they are put 

 out in the sunshine to dry, care being taken to prevent them 

 getting wet with rain, as this discolours them, and decreases 

 their market value. For shoots cut in late winter, it is 

 sufficient to place the bundles, thick end down, in a cool 

 shady place free from draughts, and throw up a slight 

 mound of earth round them. 



In most districts the harvesting extends to the whole of 

 the shoots, as experience has shown that the quality of the 



