1766 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



vigorously from cuttings than from rooted plants," Gorrie ' found that shoots of the 

 white willow "6 to 8 ft. long and about 2 in. in diameter succeed better than rooted 

 plants ; they require to be put from 18 in. to 2 ft. deep, in marshy soil, which should 

 be drained." At the present time, it is the invariable custom amongst expert 

 growers of cricket-bat willow to use large sets, up to 20 ft. long and 3 in. in diameter, 

 and scarcely smaller than 6 to 10 ft. long by 2 in. in diameter. The sets are best 

 obtained from young trees that have either been felled for sale or that have been 

 specially pollarded for the purpose ; and should never be taken from the tops of 

 old trees, as these are seldom straight, and require much trimming. A young tree, 

 about ten years old, gives the best sets when pollarded, and can be again pollarded 

 every five years for six or seven times till decay sets in. The sets should be cut 

 in early spring. Mr. Pratt, after trimming them for four-fifths of their length, has 

 them tied up in bundles of ten, and kept in water for a month, after which they 

 are planted out. 



As the willow is a light-demanding tree, and the grower's object is to produce, 

 as quickly as possible, a short stem clean of branches for about 12 to 15 ft., a good 

 crown of foliage must be preserved from the start, and the trees should be planted so 

 wide apart that they do not interfere with each other by lateral shade. If closely 

 planted, they grow more slowly, and often develop an elliptical instead of a circular 

 stem. The distance apart along the side of a stream should not be less than 10 yards. 

 Close planting to kill undergrowth or grass is a mistake, as the latter, if necessary, 

 can be removed by cultivation, though this is seldom done. 



Holes may be made for the sets by driving in a stake two or three feet deep, 

 which can afterwards be levered out. The sharpened end of the set is then dropped 

 into the hole, and tightly rammed in position. It is very important to insert the set 

 deeply and firmly, so that it may not be shaken by the wind. The after care 

 consists in rubbing off in the first three years, with the gloved hand, as high up as 

 possible, the buds which appear on the stem, so as to prevent the development of side 

 shoots. Mr. Pratt advocates the pruning of the stem afterwards to a height of 25 ft., 

 but this is seldom if ever done in Herts or Essex, where growers are content with 

 a stem clear of branches to 1 2 or 1 5 ft. 



Willow trees become saleable to bat-makers, when they are about 15 in. in 

 diameter at six feet from the ground, or about 13 in, at twelve or fifteen feet up. The 

 original set remains as a useless core in the centre of the stem. As the width of a bat 

 is about s^ in. and the clefts are taken radially, the minimum diameter should be 

 5i in- + 5i in- + 2 or 3 in. (the diameter of the set) = 13 or 14 in. The trees may of 

 course be allowed to grow for another period of years, until a second ring of clefts is 

 formed around the first ring, or even for a further period ; but it is usually most profit- 

 able to dispose of the trees when they are young. 



The trees are generally sold standing, and are deemed of first quality when the 

 stem is straight, clear of knots or branches, and covered with a smooth scaly bark, 

 which is indicative of rapid growth. As the length of a bat is about 28 in., the trees 



1 Loudon, Card. Mag. i. 46 (1826). J. Harrison, New Method, 20-24 (1766) recommended, in planting willows, the 

 use of sets 16 ft. long, with all the side branches pruned off; to be preserved from cattle by three stakes two feet from the 

 set, tied up with thorns ; and an after treatment of disbudding. 



