VILLAGE CRAFTSMEN.
It was pleasant to learn at one of these shows that exhibits there have proved singularly effective in promoting village industries, not of one sort but of many. The Englishman is a born craftsman as well as breeder. It was not by an accident that at one happy period our pottery and especially our furniture were the best of their sort in the world, beautiful, and in the English way also useful, comfortable, practical, homely, and workaday. Let me give some instances. A South Country labourer skilled in wattling hazel contrived a rough crate for feeding hay-fed stock. His hazel contri- vances went to the Rural Industries stand at Hull. He has now a market in the North for dozens of such crates. And so encouraged, he goes in inventing. I saw him make a circular wattle hurdle, designed for protecting tree or bush against frost ; and can imagine nothing better for the purpose. Thousands of gardeners are in need of such a piece of armour.
* * * *
Previous page
