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Home Nature-Study Course. 



LESSON CXXII. 



HOW WILLOWS ARE PROPAGATED. 



Purpose. — To teach the pupils that willows have other methods of 

 propagation than by planting seeds. 



Although the seed of the willow is produced in abundance, it seems 

 as if it were hardly needed for preserving the species. Note that the 

 twigs which have been kept in water to develop flowers will also put 

 forth roots ; even if the twigs are wrong end up the rootlets will form. 

 A twig lying flat on moist soil will push out rootlets along its entire 

 length as though it were a root and shoots will grow from the buds 

 on its upper side. This habit of the willows makes it of great use to man 

 as a soil binder. As a protection from streams that wash away their 

 banks during floods, there is nothing better than a thick hedge of willows ; 

 the roots will reach out in all directions, interlacing themselves in great 

 masses and thus hold the soil in place. If possible, have the pupils 

 observe the roots of the willows on the banks of some stream. Many 

 streams are bordered by self-planted willow hedges, for the wood is 



weak and the twigs are easily snapped off by the 

 wind and float down stream, taking root wherever 

 they are stranded. One species is called the 

 Sand-bar Willow for this reason. 



LESSON CXXIIL 



THE USES OF WILLOW. 



Purpose. — To inform the pupils of the many 

 uses to man of the willow wood. 



Perhaps the most interesting use of the 

 willow to the children is the manufacture 

 of whistles, black willow being the best 

 for this purpose. Though willow wood is soft 

 and exceedingly light it is very tough when 

 seasoned and is put to a surprising number of 

 uses. The wooden shoes which the European 

 peasants wear are made from willow for first 

 choice and poplar as second choice. It is used 

 instead of cork in making artificial legs and arms 

 for the maimed. Ropes and baskets are made 

 from willow twigs since the earliest historical 

 times. The Rritons fought the Roman soldiers 

 from behind shields of basket work; the wattled 

 huts in which they lived were woven of supple 



Seed bearing catkins of 

 the ivillozv. 



