128 



VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



it is not of much consequence which end of them be 

 put into the ground. They are of great use in giving 

 consistency to banks and embankments, which are in 

 danger of being washed away. There are many 

 osier-beds in the Thames, which are generally cut 

 about once in three years, and are very profitable to 

 their proprietors. 



The shoots of the yellow willow are much more 

 slender than those of the osier : they are very tough ; 

 and on that account- they are well adapted for the 

 finer kinds of basket-work. 



In common language, osier is used for almost any 

 willow-tree, while of that which botanists call the osier 

 there are many varieties. 



White Willow- Salix alba. 



The white arborescent willow grows to a large size 

 by the sides of rivers; and when the wind agitates its 

 twigs, and turns up the silvery sides of its leaves, it 

 has a fine appearance. It is a native of most parts 

 of Europe. 



The weeping willow is a native of the Levant; but 



