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orientfan: I think it's the title of one of his books, a name that is now usually spelt with two Ls where you have one.
I've just joined the thread because my Chambers is very old - in fact the cover fell off on Saturday - so words like HACKERY can pose problems. Is CART really its synonym? How so?
I do agree with earlier comments that this is a puzzle that feels unsatisfactorily incomplete - cf. the mosaic-like intricacy of some recent ones.

Another thing. Either of the letter choices at 22 gives an "essential feature of the poem". B gives a match with the list from surplus letters, C gives the exception to that list, both words appearing in the poem. So what does "essential" mean?

Thanks durban. I have the word you're alluding to - but this isn't the solution to the clue, is it? Surely this word is what I enter in the grid after two letter choices as per the theme?

orientfan- yes, that's what I meant. Answer to clue would fit someone who wolfs their food, the tree being the last 4 letters.
At least, I think that's right - as you can see from the above, I have doubts about it all.

Durban, I share your concerns. As I was completing my neat copy to post I wondered why one choice of letter for 22 was a "less essential feature' than the other, especially as 1d and 6a across are not essential features of the poem per se.
I don't really have any doubt that the reject for 22 is the one that belongs to the list of things from the clues, but the wording of the preamble is very poor.

Dryden, I guess you're right because using the B word, and including the one from the title, gives a complete list of the "non-essentials". But can anyone answer my 7 down question?

HACKERY "An Indian ox-drawn cart for transporting goods"

Thankyou, gem - a satisfactory end to a not completely satisfying experience.

Thanks durban, all.

Got there in the end.

l(o)u + tree/toilet disinfectant

which transcribes to the name I already had.

Thanks meursault. It's so annoying when you're done and dusted but cannot work out the wordplay for a few clues. Not that it mattered, but it's nice to be able to understand everything. Doesn't help that I have an old copy of BCSD. Many new words added now.