CHAP. CIII.

.SALICA'CEiE. A'a'lIX.

1473

on each side of each rib, and turned upwards ; the whole being kept in anupright position by being bound slightly together at their upper extremities.Rods are now interwoven between these upright rods, as high as required forthe depth of the basket; after which the rods are loosened at the top, andtheir ends brought down and plaited into an edge or brim, which, as we have be-fore observed with regard to splitting the willows, is an operation much moreeasily and rapidly performed than described. A small round basket or ham-per is now produced, like those in which potatoes are exposed for sale in theLondon markets, and to this a handle may be added by inserting in the inter-woven part of the sides two or three rods close together, at opposite pointsof the rim, pushing them down to near the bottom, and plaiting their upperends together so as to form a handle. A handle is also sometimes made byforcing down the ends of a thick rod, in the woven work, before the rim iscompleted; and plaiting round it two or more of the ends of the rods whichform the ribs from each side. The durability of the Scotch basket is muchgreater than that of the English one ; not only on account of the greater du-rability of the handle and ribs, but, in the case of peeled rods, by the barkbeing loosened by boiling, instead of by the rising of the sap.

Both modes of basket-making will readily be understood from the follow-ing figures:—

Eig. 1277, shows the handle and rim of the commonest form of Scotchbasket, made fast at the points of intersection.

s ^ ows same skeleton, with the ribs of one side added, and

in which y ’ shows tae commencement of the English mode of basket-making;8 re P res ents the six rods that are to form the bottom of the basket,

5 b 2