40 JBotan^ 



to find them in the woods, but in the swamps ; not 

 on the liillsides, but down along the brooks. There, 

 even in these last days of February, we may find a 

 blossom. Even when films of ice and little rifts of 

 snow lie about their roots, the willow trees, or rather 

 shrubs — for these especial willows do not reach the 

 dignity of trees — begin to bloom. 



^yho does not know and love these soft, silken 

 " pussies," which give their name to the pussy wil- 

 lows. They are of a dull pale i^urple color, and one 

 of the daintiest bouquets imaginable is a large bunch 

 of the leafless willow stems, closely set with the 

 soft purple pussies. In a day or two, if our willow 

 branches are kept in water and placed where the 

 sun can touch them, the hazy purple turns to a film 

 of gold. Looking closely, we shall find that the 

 crowded stamens have matured their pollen and are 

 ready to toss it off at a touch in a golden shower. If 

 we had left the Avillow stems by their brook some 

 gentle breeze, or a brush from the wing of some 

 passing bird, or some early bee, would have sent the 

 yellow atoms flying. 



Perhaps close by our willow shrubs some alders 

 are growing ; the alder stems are hung with scale- 

 covered tassels called catkins ; a few days of sun- 

 shine and warm air will open those close-set scales, 

 and the winds will shake out the folds of little silk 



