AagH3t 30. 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOULTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



185 



this Willow is aasooiated with sadness, and was so even in 

 the days when the IsraeUtea were captives in Babylon. " It 

 is a sad tree," says 



Fuller, "whereof ;- — ?-•: 



Buoh who have lost ■ 



their love make their 

 tuonrning garlands, 

 and we know what 

 exiles hung up their 

 harps npon such 

 dolefnll supporters. 

 The twiggs hereof 

 are physick to drive 

 out the folly of chil- 

 dren. This tree de- 

 lighteth in moist 

 places, and is trium- 

 phant in the Isle of 

 Ely, where the roots 

 strengthen their 

 banks, and lop af- 

 fords luell for their 

 fire. It groweth in- 

 credibly fast, it being 

 a byword in this 

 county that the pro- 

 fit by Willows will 

 buy the owner a 

 horse before that by 

 other trees will pay 

 for his saddle. Let 

 me add, that if green 

 ashe may bnme be- 

 fore a queen, wither- 

 ed Willows may be 

 allowed to burne be- 

 fore a lady." 



Let Loudon say 

 more about its uses 

 — " In the north of 

 Europe the bark of 

 this tree is used for 

 tanning leather and 

 for dyeing yarn of a 

 cinnamon colour ; 

 and the leaves and 

 young shoots are 

 given to cattle in a 

 green state, or dried 

 like the twigs of the 

 Birch, and laid up 

 for winter fodder. 

 The inner bark, like 

 that of Scotch Pine, 



being kUn-dried and pi 26.-TnR whitb willow (salix alba). 



ground into a fine 



flour, is mixed with oatmeal and madej into bread in seasons 



handles to rakes, hoes, and other implements, and as faggot 

 wood for fuel. The timber of the trunk is used for various 



purposes. It weighs 



— - in a green state 70 



lbs. 9 ozs. per cubic 

 foot ; half-dry, 51 

 lbs. It oza. ; and 

 quite dry, 32 lbs. 12 

 oza. ; so as to lose 

 more than one-half 

 of its weight by dry- 

 ing, during which it 

 loses a sixteenth part 

 of its bulk. It is 

 found an excellent 

 lining for stone- 

 carts, barrows, &e. 

 It is used in turnery, 

 miUwork, coopery, 

 weather- boarding, 

 &e. ; and the stronger 

 shoots and poles 

 serve for making 

 hoops, handles to 

 hay - rakes , clothes 

 props, and various 

 other instruments 

 and implements, and 

 the twigs are employ- 

 ed in wickerwork. 

 The bark, which is 

 thick and full of 

 cracks, is in nearly 

 as great repute for 

 tanning as that of 

 the Oak ; and it is 

 also nsed in medi- 

 cine, in the cure of 

 agues, as a substi- 

 tute for cinchona, 

 though it is inferior 

 for both purposes to 

 that of S. Ruasel- 

 liana. As fuel the 

 wood of this tree is 

 to that of the Beech 

 as' 808 is to 1540 ; 

 but the old bark 

 makes a very useful 

 fuel, and both it and 

 the wood will burn 

 when green , in which 

 state the wood is 

 said to give out most 

 heat. The charcoal 

 is excellent for use 

 in the manufacture of gunpowder ci a' for crayons. The ashes 

 are very rich in alkah, containing more than a tenth part of 

 their weight of potash. In France a fine blood-red colour is 



Fig. 27.— M&le Catldo. 



of great scarcity by the inhabitants of Norway and Kamt- 

 Bchatka. The branches of the tree are used as stakes, poles, 



Fig. 28.— Female Catldi]. 



obtained from the bark, and that of the young tree is used in 

 the preparation of leather for making gloves. 



