22 TREE-PLANTING. 



height, with a trunk two or three feet in diameter. 

 At twenty or thirty years of age, it often attains the 

 height of sixty and seventy feet, when its trunk often 

 yields one cubical foot per annum every year of its 

 growth. On this account, it is more often planted as 

 a timber-tree than any other willow, though it makes 

 good coppice, and is often grown as a pollard, where 

 the annual loppings furnish a large amount of useful 

 wood for various purposes. For osiers, however, it is 

 not so appropriate, for though the year-old shoots are 

 strong and tough, they are twiggy and full of laterals, 

 which causes them to be unsuitable for the purpose of 

 basket-making. 



The timber of willow is very useful for many agri- 

 cultural purposes, for which other kinds of wood are 

 not nearly so appropriate. Even its soft yielding 

 nature, which causes it to be objectionable for some 

 uses, yet makes it highly desirable for others. For 

 lining carts and barrows, into which rough loads are 

 flung, such as stones, the wood is very useful, as, being 

 soft, although it may be indented, it will not splinter, 

 and receive damage from the friction to which it may 

 be subjected. 



For rake and scythe-handles, sheep-flakes or 

 hurdles, these are best formed out of willows, and by 

 reason of the lightness of the wood in the case of 

 hurdles, are easily removed from place to place, while 

 they are not damaged by their own weight when flung 

 hastily down, being white, soft, and light. 



Russell's, or the Bedford Willow (S. Russelliana), 

 is one of the best willows in cultivation. Johnson's 

 willow at Lichfield is of this species, the trunk of 

 which is twelve feet, or more, in circumference. There 



