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peelings of the branches being useful to bind arbor-poling, and in topiary chapworks, vineyards, espalier-fruit, and the like : And we are told of somethat have been twisted into ropes of an hundred and twenty paces,serving instead of cables. There are two principal sorts of these Withies,the Hoary, and the Red Withy, which is the Greek; toughest, and fittestto bind, whilst the twigs are flexible and tender.
separating from the stem. After they,are planted, they should be thorned from cattle;and in five or six years they will be fit for lopping; and thus they may continue to be loppedevery fifth or sixth year, to the improvement of ditch-sides, water-gutters, &c. were it onlyfor the fuel, as it emits little smoke, and is remarkably sweet; it burns pure and clear tothe last, and therefore proper for ladies’ chambers, and such people as are curious in pro-curing the sweetest sorts of fire-wood.
Willows may be planted in the autumn, but the spring is the surest season. The plant-ing however should not be delayed later than February, as the shoots of the succeedingyear would not only be retarded, but the stools from whence they were taken greatly in-jured.
Amongst the antients, the Willow was appropriated to many uses, but it was chiefly cul-tivated for binders, to be employed in the vineyard. With them, every thing that regardedthe cultivation of the Vine was attended to with scrupulous exactnefs; and Columella,when describing the different things requisite for the vineyard, emphatically styles Willows ,Reeds, and Chesniit-trees, “ the dowries” for vineyards. Of Willows , binders weremade; Reeds made frames; and Chesnut-poles were employed for props. The quantityof land required for each of these is thus described by Columella. One acre (jugerum) ofWillow-ground will raise binders sufficient for twenty-five acres of vineyard- A singleacre planted with Reeds, is sufficient for furnishing frames for twenty acres; an acre plantedwith Chesnut-trees is enough for propping as many acres as an acre planted with ReedsCan furnish frames for. Lib. iv. cap. xxx.
The antienl Britons'used-boats made of Wicker , covered with skins, for pafsing riversand arms -of the sea :
Primum cana Salix madefacto vimine parvam
Texitur in-.puppim, caesoque induta Juvenco,
Vectoris.patiens, tumidam superemicat amnem.
Sic Venetus, stagnante Pado, fusoque Britannus
Navigat Oceino.— -—- lucan.
Besides these boats, our rude forefathers knew how to make baskets of Wicker , whichwere held in estimation even at -Rome. Of these Martial says,
Barbara de pictis veni Bascauda Britannis;
Bed mejam mavult dicere Roma sudm.
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