58 



and hedgerows, grows to a small tree only, but it 

 seems to thrive on all soils and in every situation. 

 The leaves of the sallow are short, and a round 

 oval, and, unlike the willow but like the osier, 

 the catkins appear before the leaves. It makes 

 excellent coppice wood. The word sallow is said 

 to come to us from the Anglo-Saxons and to 

 signify a plant suitable for "withes" or "ties." 

 The flexible character of its stems, and perhaps 

 more particularly those of S. viminalis, the common 

 osier, make them especially useful for basket work. 

 It is one of the earliest flowering of our hardy 

 shrubs. The large white downy catkins, which 

 burst out at the beginning of April, are amongst 

 the first ot our wild blossoms to herald the 

 approach of Spring. 



In earl}' times the branches of the sallow were 

 in much request on the approach of Palm Sunday. 

 As the palm itself is a tropical plant and was 

 therefore not obtainable, the golden heads of the 

 goat sallow were adopted as the best substitute — 



" In Rome, upon Palm Sunday, 

 They bear true palms ; 

 The cardinals bow reverently, 

 And sing old psalms. 

 Elsewhere those psalms are sung 

 Beneath the olive branches ; 

 The holly-bough supplies their place 

 Amid the avalanches." 



