The Willows 61 



the trunk. The branches are frequently much twisted and contorted, the lower 

 ones hanging towards the ground. 



The bark is grey, tight-fitting in apearance, at times not unlike that of the 

 white ash. Frequently it is slightly shaggy. 



The twigs are delicate, being finer than those of the other hickories. They 

 are inclined to droop or hang down. 



The winter bud is yellowish-brown, round or egg-shaped, and smaller than that 

 of any other hickory. 



The leaves are composed of from five to nine leaflets (usually seven and rarely 

 nine) . They are a rich yellowish-green in colour and smooth on both sides. 



The nuts vary in size. They are usually pear-shaped but some are oval. 

 Others, again, are perfectly round or broader than long. The kernel is bitter or 

 sweet. The husk splits only half-way to the base and, as a rule, falls off the tree 

 with the nut. 



It prefers rich, well-drained soils but grows under a variety of conditions. In 

 Canada it is found in the Niagara peninsula and the counties bordering lake Erie. 



The little pignut (Gary a microcarpa) is considered a variety of this tree. 



THE WILLOWS 



The willow (Salix) is one of the most widely distributed trees in the whole 

 world. Over one hundred and seventy species have been described, of which 

 seventy-five are found in North America and of these fifty or more in Canada. 

 Owing to the fact that they hybridize among themselves the varieties and crosses 

 produced are seemingly without number and this makes the separation of the species 

 extremely difficult. 



The separation is mainly by floral characteristics which can be examined for 

 only a short time in the spring, but even then their determination is often a matter 

 of great difficulty and requires considerable experience. 



The species differ very widely in size and habit of growth. The majority of 

 the indigenous species never reach tree size but grow as shrubs in thickets, some- 

 times only a few inches high. I'hey occur, for the most part, along the borders of 

 rivers and streams but frequently occupy large areas of comparatively dry land. 



The willows can be readily recognized from the other trees by their bitter bark 

 and their winter buds, which are covered by single scales. In most species these 

 winter buds are long, narrow, and pointed, and sometimes slightly curved, and 

 have the appearance of being pressed against the side of the twig. 



The wood of the different species is similar. It is light, soft, and tough, and 

 does not swell or shrink after seasoning. It is very perishable when exposed to 

 moisture. In Canada the wood is used for artificial limbs, cricket bats and slack 

 cooperage. ^jjj. POPLARS 



The poplars (Populus), various species of which genus are called also aspens and 

 cottonwoods, are widely distributed throughout the northern portion of both the 

 eastern and western hemispheres. There are some twenty-five or twenty-six 

 species known, of which eight are native to Canada. Many exotic species, such 



