Country diary: The willow stems that once held the countryside together

Toller Porcorum, Dorset: I visit a basketmaker to see why 'withy' was used for millennia to weave and fastenWhat would farmers do without baler twine? Blue, pink, yellow or orange, this thin, strong, polypropylene string seems to hold the countryside together. It ties up gates, zigzags crazily across holes in fences and lashes down tarpaulins.Originally made of natural sisal fibre, baler twine was invented towards the end of the 19th century. Its primary purpose was to machine-bind hay and straw bales. But what did people use before industrialisation, when they had to rely on the materials immediately to hand? Withy, or willow, is one answer. Its slender, whippy stems have been used for millennia for weaving and fastening: the root meaning of "withy" is to twist or plait. Continue reading...