26 THE HUMAN SIDE OF TREES 



happy. The willow then should be classified as a 

 joyous and serenely placid maiden, a fit adornment 

 to peaceful river or pastoral domicile. 



There is a tradition that all the willows originally 

 came out of the far north. The dwarf willows 

 propagate by sending out underground trailers 

 which send up new stems. This is a common habit 

 of frost-encompassed arctic plants. The herbaceous 

 willow, when growing high upon mountains, often 

 hides entirely underground with the exception of 

 tiny shoots which only rise a few inches above the 

 earth. 



We do not hear enough about the beeches. These 

 strong, graceful trees of astounding beauty are 

 veritable Beau Brummels of the forest. Their 

 round smooth bark is the finest overcoat in treeland. 

 Their well-shaped, densely grouped leaves are 

 glossy and glitteringly green. There is a fine deli- 

 cate tracery among their multitudinous twigs. 



Their handsome looks have made the beeches a 

 trifle conceited. While very sociable with their own 

 kind, they usually resent intrusion. They are jeal- 

 ous capitalists who by deep black shadows even 

 prevent the humbler plants from growing in their 

 immediate vicinity. But my, how they dress ! The 

 bark fabric which covers their strong, mast-like 



