THE TEAZLE CROP. 



care must be taken riot to attempt to pack them before 

 thev are quite diy. Where the crop is continuously 

 grown, drying sheds and long poles, suitable for carrying 

 them, form part of the " plant" of the farm; where the 

 land is sublet, they are provided by the "teazle grower/' 

 In harvesting teazles the terminating heads are generally 

 first ready for cutting. They are larger and stronger than 

 the others, and only fitted for coarse and inferior cloths. 

 These are known by the name of "kings." The lateral 

 heads are ready the next; these produce the prime teazles, 

 which have received the name of " middlings;" and all 

 the heads which, from being either undersized, or in any 

 way defective, so as not to be classed with the others, are 

 tied up by themselves, and termed "scrubs." These 

 various qualities are either separated at the time of 

 " cutting," or are arranged in their different classes after 

 they are dried and when they are being made up for the 

 market. In preparing them for market, it is customary 

 to make them up into " handsful " of from twenty to 

 twenty-five heads each, which are spread out like a fan, 

 and tied together by their stalks, one being left longer in 

 each lot than the others for this purpose. From twenty 

 to twenty-five handsful are strung on to a light hazel 

 rod (like a string of onions), and constitute a "staff," 

 and forty staves constitute a "pack." The "pack," 

 as it is sold in the markets, thus contains about 

 20,000 heads or teazles. In making up the "kings." 

 however, smaller numbers are used ten heads go to the 

 " handful/' thirty handsful to the " staff/' and thirty staves 

 or 9000 heads only, to the "pack." This preparation for 

 the market is usually performed by the persons engaged 

 to harvest the teazles, who are accustomed to the work, 

 and are paid for it at about the average rate of 5s. per 

 pack. Teazles are usually purchased of the growers by 

 dealers, who travel through the- teazle- j^ro wing districts- 



