I 9 I2.] 



Varieties of Willows. 



sembling "French," described above, and chiefly grown in 

 the watershed of the Trent and the Gainsborough district; 

 much prized by growers of that locality as a good cropper. 

 Thrives well on a heavy warp land, subject to freshets of 

 water. Not esteemed by the basket-maker as a first-quality 

 willow. Shoots, 4 ft. to 6 ft. 6 in. long; plant 18 in. by 

 18 in. 



8. "Stone Rod," the hardest-wooded of this species, makes 

 the choicest white. Its natural defect is that it grows so 

 bent at the butt — a feature associated with all the very best- 

 quality rods, and counteracted by a system of close planting, 

 which compels the shoot to grow upwards for light and air. 

 This willow thrives in the valley of the Severn and some 

 parts of Gloucestershire. It has been tried on several kinds 

 of soil in Leicestershire, but with comparatively little success; 

 it is a "shy" cropper, but very valuable. Shoots, from 2 ft. 

 to 5 ft. long. Suited to a damp, alluvial, warpy, clay soil. 

 Plant 16 in. by 16 in. Mr. A. Slater, Chief Forester to Earl 

 Beauchamp, sent to one of the writers in the spring of last 

 year some very fine rods measuring over 6 ft. in length, and 

 states that this variety pays better than anything else, and 

 meets with a ready market. 



9. "Brittany Green," a beautifully slender rod of great 

 length for its substance, was brought from France and planted 

 at Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the spring of 191 1, on 

 a rather dry, rich loam, or marl soil, 18 in. by 18 in. In 

 spite of the severe drought of 191 1, it wholly escaped the 

 blight, from which so many of the triandra group suffered, 

 and at the end of July had made a satisfactory and healthy 

 growth. It is too early to speak of its working quality, but 

 in France it is classed as first quality. Shoots, 3 ft. 6 in. 

 to 6 ft. 6 in. 



10. "Rayns's Ten-feet," a vigorous and heavy cropper of 

 the Spaniard class. Attains a length of from 6 ft. t6 10 ft., 

 and is principally employed for white hamper work. Suited 

 to a damp, cold loam. Plant 20 in. by 20 in. 



11. "Black Holland," one of the largest and longest of this 

 species, is believed to have been brought by the Dutch and 

 planted first in the East Anglia low country, where it thrives 

 better than on the watersheds of Leicestershire and Notting- 



