Undoubtedly
the craft most often associated with marshland areas is thatching.
There are two aspects of this craft: the thatching itself and the provision of a
suitable supply of material. The cutting and harvesting of reed for thatching is still
an important activity in many marshland areas. The reed used is Phragmites
australis, which, depending on its situation, grows to a height of between 150 and
300 cm (59 and 118 in). The plant is generally grown from underground rhizomes.
Reed favours any damp area, including the margins of lakes and suitable stretches
of rivers and streams. However, where it can be grown or controlled in large
expanses, reed is a valuable crop.
In
Britain, its chief value is as thatching material but, in other European countries
where it is grown, it is an important raw material in the cellulose industry. It is also
used to stabilise the banks of rivers and canals. Large areas of reed are found in
Scandinavia and the Danube delta and, in the Netherlands, it has been used in the
reclamation of the polders.
It
is only in the British Isles that reed is important in thatching. It is also used, in a
minor way, for temporary sheds, as fencing and to provide some protection to farm
crops. In large reed-beds, the shoots may provide some fodder. In some countries,
the rhizomes have been dug up and used to produce an alcoholic drink.
For good growth, the reed needs nutrient-rich
soil, such as that in the marshland
area of East Anglia. Large areas of reed are found in Scotland, along the south
coast of England and in south Wales, but the reeds will grow almost anywhere if
conditions are suitable and reed-beds are widely distributed throughout Britain.
Because the best reeds have to be used,
thatching is expensive, although a well-
thatched roof will last for up to 80 years. When choosing his material, the thatcher
will select both short and long bundles of reed, each of which is used for specific
areas on the roof.
The hollow-stemmed reeds trap air and
this gives them their good insulating
properties. Reeds have been used for thatching for many centuries and Thomas
Tusser commented on this in his Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry,
published in 1571, when he said, 'Where houses be reeded, as houses have need,
Now pare off the moss, and go beat in the reed'.
Originally reeds were cut by each craftsman
as he needed them, but at some stage
it became apparent that management of the reed-beds was necessary and this is
now practised in many areas. The reed-cutting season covers the period from just
before Christmas to 5 April, at which time the reeds have lost their seeds and
leaves—a stage called the feather. Growth is an important consideration in
harvesting, which stops when the young shoots or colts push through the soil.
Continued cutting will damage the colts, putting future crops at risk.
Some mechanisation has taken place in
the harvesting of reeds. Motorised scythes
are used, such as the Scandinavian Seiga harvester, which has wide tyres to
prevent it from sinking in the soft reed-beds. Before mechanisation, reed-cutting
was done by scythe and still is in some areas, especially where motor scythes
cannot operate.
After cutting, the reed is cleaned with
a reed-rake made from 6-in nails driven into a
piece of wood. Unsuitable material, such as weeds and broken reed, is removed
and the reed is then gathered into bundles. Each bundle is then bounced, butt
down, onto a bouncing or jouncingboard to level the ends and then tied about 30
cm (12 in) from the base. The bundles are then taken from the marsh by a
boat—the reed-lighter—to be stacked close to a dyke or river ready for
transportation.
The reed is sold in bundles. A
standard-sized bundle, as defined by the Norfolk
Reed Growers' Association, is 60 cm (24 in) in circumference at 30 cm (12 in) from
the butt (lower end). A fathom consists of six standard bundles, measuring 180 cm
(71 in) in circumference. A long hundred is 120 fathoms of reed (traditional).
Reed is cut either annually or biannually.
Annual cutting is known as single wale and
biannual cutting as double male. More rarely there is a 3-year cycle, known as
triple ivale. Double wale is most common as biannual cutting not only increases the
yield but also results in a more durable crop.
Correct management of the reed-beds is
essential and waste and reed stubble is
usually burnt. This kills off pests and weeds, while the ash puts back nutrients into
the soil. New reed-beds are created by planting the rhizomes of Phragmites
australis. Where seed is used, it is generally of Dutch origin, because seeds of
British origin do not germinate successfully. Reeds grow best where the soil
particles are of a fine texture; silt and silty peats provide ideal growth conditions.
Regular flooding replenishes the soil nutrients used by the growing plants.
The availability of water is very important.
A continual supply is needed during the
growing season, but dry conditions are desirable when the reeds are being cut.
Such ideal conditions do not always occur, especially in marshland along river
levels; here fluctuations in the level of the river water have the opposite effect,
producing wet cutting seasons and dry growing seasons. In dry summers, invasion
by weeds can be a nuisance.
This invasion of reed-beds by other species
is a constant problem. The willow is
usually the first species to appear, followed by grasses, such as Agrostis
stolonifera, meadowsweet and willow herb. Willow herb is much disliked by the
reed-cutters, because it is difficult to remove from the bunches. Management of
reed-beds is therefore necessary to ensure a 'pure stand'.
The young reeds generally push through
the soil in March, although they appear
earlier if the winter is mild. During the winter, frost and trampling by men and
animals may damage the reeds and, although many reeds recuperate, producing
new buds, this results in a later crop. Growth is rapid at first, but decreases as the
season progresses. Initial growth is fuelled by food stored in the rhizome and is
helped by warm weather.
After
early mild spells, frost is welcomed, as it arrests premature growth. When this
happens, single buds may be replaced by two or three new ones, resulting in a
much denser crop. Late frost, however, causes severe damage. Heavy late
snowfalls may completely flatten the crop, in which case the reed has to be
harvested early and burned, resulting in the loss of the crop.
Reeds
flower either in late August or early September and the seeds ripen in
November. The leaves of this perennial species then die; most have fallen off by
Christmas, when harvesting begins.
There
are few pests. The main enemies are caterpillars of Arenostola
phragmitidisand A. brevilinea, which can damage the young reeds. Liparia lucens
causes the common cigar gall and, although generally localised, it can be a
nuisance. Young shoots may occasionally suffer from smut (Ustilago grandis).
