70 Wild Life in a Southern County. 
and then be found. The peculiar broad-headed nail 
which fastens the mop to the stout ashen ‘steale, or 
handle, is also made in the village. I spell ‘steale’ 
by conjecture, and according to pronunciation. It is 
used also of a rake: instead of a rake-handle they 
say rake-steale. Having made the mops, the women 
go round with them to the farmhouses of the district, 
knowing their regular customers—who prefer to buy 
of them, not only as a little help to the poor, but 
because the mops are really very strongly made. 
In the meadows of the vale the waters of the 
same stream irrigate numerous scattered withy-beds, 
pollard willow-trees, and tall willow-poles growing 
thickly in the hedges by the brook. The most suit- 
able of these poles are purchased from the farmers by 
the willow handicraftsmen of the village up here, to 
be split into thin flexible strips and plaited or woven 
into various articles. These strips are made into 
ladies’ workbaskets and endless knick-knacks. The 
flexibility of the willow is surprising when reduced to 
these narrow pieces, scarcely thicker than stout paper. 
This industry used to keep many hands employed. 
There were willow-looms in the village, and to show 
their dexterity the weavers sometimes made a shirt of 
willow—of course only as a curiosity. The develop- 
ment of straw weaving greatly interfered with this 
business ; and now it is followed by a few only, who. 
are chiefly engaged in preparing the raw material to 
go elsewhere. 
