l82 



THE POLLARD WILLOW. 



MAX E. PEACOCK, 

 The Manor, Bottesford , Lincolnshire. 



In early days, when our villag"e life was governed by Manor 

 Courts, instead of Rural District Councils, the wants of the 

 inhabitants were regarded. At that date Willow trees played 

 a part of no inconsiderable importance. From them were 

 procured the pegs with which the thatch of reed, rushes,, or 

 straw was held firmly on house, barn, and stacks ; they also 

 were used as stakes for staithing- the banks of rivers and becks. 

 Wooden scoops, bowls, spoons, trenchers, and cheese vats were 

 of this wood, and in fact it played a very important part in our 

 domestic architecture. Old manor rolls show that laws were in 

 force regarding their planting and protection. At a manor 

 court held at Bottesford, North Lincolnshire, on ist April 1579, 

 the following, among other regulations, was decreed by the lord 

 and jury: — 'Item, that everie husbandman within this lord- 

 shippe to sett euery yere vj willowes, and euery cotiger iij, and 

 to preserve them from cattle ; in doing the contrary euery 

 husbandman to forfayte xijd, and euery cotiger vjd.' 



From this extract we gather how it came about that against 

 ponds and hollows in our meadow and pasture lands little 

 clumps of Willows may be seen yet standing. The date at 

 which some of these old patriarchs of past rural economy were 

 planted must be considerable. We can remember some that 

 had grown hollow with age that would contain four ordinary men 

 standing up within the trunk. The Pollard Willow seems to be 

 able to retain life and flourish when the entire bole is eaten out 

 by grub, beetle, and caterpillar; the outer rim of bark and an 

 inch or two of wood only is needed for the growth of a good 

 crown of branches. These ancient trees have been chopped, 

 buckheaded, or pollarded for generations, yet in spite of age 

 and ill-usage they still put forth a goodly crop of long, straight 

 shoots after each application of the bill-hook. 



It is not so much of the trees themselves we are about to 

 write as about the birds, beasts, fishes and reptiles, plants and 

 shrubs that we have known make use of them in one way or 

 another. We have a note about some Willows that to the best 

 of our belief were planted as stakes about 150 years ago, but an 

 earlier date might be assigned to them by some people. On look- 

 ing through these notes we find a list of birds that have built in 



Naturalist, 



