THE WILLOW FAMILY One of the first tree families whose name we learn is the willow family. The members are numerous, and the botanists find great diffi culty in distinguishing certain species, which closely resemble each other; but these troubles we shall leave to the scientist. The point for us to consider is this : When we see a tree which we know to be a willow, how do we know it ? " It looks like a willow," some one says. But who knows, and can tell how willows look— how they differ from other trees? First, willows have slender, flexible twigs that give the tree tops grace and lightness. Second, willow leaves are nearly always long and slim to match the supple twigs. They are always simple, and short-stemmed. The wood is light and soft, so the trees break easily in storms of wind and ice. An old willow tree is likely to be crippled, but its scars and wounds are covered in summer by the arching branches and the abundant foliage.
The first trees to blossom in spring are the shrubby pussy willows, a distinct kind whose catkins are so eager to push out of their scales that their grey, silky noses are often seen in November. Frequently, they are out and the scales dropped in February; but the yellow sta mens and the long-tongued pistils do not rise above the grey fur until March, at least. The most attractive stage of these catkins is the earlier one, when the flower buds are concealed by the grey silk.
By cutting pussy willow twigs in the late fall, or any time during the winter, and putting them into a jar of water, we may see the blossoming, quite out of season. Sufficient food is stored in the twig to force out the blossoms, even to the shedding of the pollen. It is a charming thing in the winter to have a vase of these twigs in full bloom on a window sill when snow banks are piled high just outside.
Willows are lovers of wet ground, and we shall see groves of them scattered along streams and on the margins of ponds and swamps. A few species thrive in dry soil, and seem to pre fer it. Some grow at sea level, others are found
on high mountains. From small shrubs they vary to mighty trees. There is no climate and no soil that does not have its native willows. The family is distributed from the Equator to the Arctic Circle.
It is very common in many places for farmers to plaht a grove of willows for a windbreak, to protect their houses and barns. This is espe cially seen in prairie states and other treeless regions. Willows are quick-growing trees, and sure to grow. All one needs do is to cut limbs from a growing tree, chop these limbs into pieces the length of stove wood, and drive them into the ground. Each one takes root, and grows into a tree, if the soil is at all moist.
Another plan is to cut fence posts from the willow grove, and drive them into the ground. Each of these posts forms the trunk of a willow tree, which soon has a great head of branches.
In Holland and other countries, willows are thickly planted to form hedges and for their roots to hold the soil along the banks of streams and ditches. The same trees may perform a double service. Willow wood makes good sum mer fuel, where a quick, hot fire is desired. The twigs make the best charcoal used in the manu facture of gunpowder. The long, flexible twigs of a low-growing willow are used in the manu facture of wicker chairs, tables, and other furni ture. These trees are grown on a large scale in France and other European countries, and the industry is being introduced in some parts of America.
When spring comes on, we may notice a pecu liar change in the colour of the bare willows that line the stream borders. The twigs turn gradu ally green, and the long, pointed buds prepare to cast off their single scales. These are shaped like the long, knitted caps which children wear in winter time, although there is no tassel at the end. The cap fits snugly over the long bud, and is fastened in a circle at the joint. The swelling bud simply pushes it off.