THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



SALIX. 



789 



where it does not die, endless trouble ; 

 thirdly, we lose some of the true uses of 

 the tree, the habit not lending" itself 

 always to grafting on the standard 

 form. Why should we not be able to 

 use the Weeping Willows as rock or 

 bank plants, not on standards, in which 

 form the growth is often less graceful than 

 on our own root trees ? Though we think 

 the finest Willows for effect in the land- 

 scape are the tree Willows, in all garden 

 ground the Weeping Willows are likely 

 to be the most planted, and we should 

 guard against an excessive use of them 

 in home landscape owing to this same 

 weeping habit. One large isolated Weep- 

 ing Willow, or a group of such trees on 

 the margin of water, gives a much better 

 effect than a number dotted about. Fur- 

 ther, the Weeping Willow ungrafted when 

 isolated has an advantage over many 

 other weeping trees in its beauty of habit, 

 all is grace and softness ; like a fountain 

 of water, the branches rise lightly into 

 the air to fall again gracefully. On the 

 other hand, in most other weeping trees 

 artificially made by grafting on standards 

 there is none of this lightness of aspect 

 and of form. Willows are admirably 

 suited for giving us an abundance of 

 shade where this is desired, and they are 

 among the hardy trees that thrive in and 

 near towns. Only the Willows most effec- 

 tive in the home landscape and in the 

 home woods are named here. Some small 

 and alpine Willows are interesting for 

 the rock-garden, but they are more suited 

 for botanical collections. The dwarf 

 creeping kinds grown in gardens are 

 S. herbacece, S. lanata, S. reticulata, and S. 

 serpyllifolia, all natives of the northern 

 parts of Europe and America, They 

 grow well among stones in ordinary 

 garden soil. Sometimes certain of these 

 dwarf forms are grafted generally on the 

 sallow, on which their lives are very short, 

 and it is impossible for us to judge of 

 the value of such kinds as 5. repens var. 

 argentea and pendula and S. ccesia var. 

 Zabelipendula, when stuck on the ends of 

 sticks of a wholly different nature. 



S. ALBA ( White Willow}. A graceful and 

 stately tree of the marsh lands and river valleys 

 throughout Europe and Asia, common in 

 Britain, and often beautiful. It has several 

 varieties, particularly a silvery one, and a red 

 one (britzensis). Sometimes 80 ft. or more 

 high, with a trunk diameter of 6 to 7 ft. 



S. BABYLONICA ( Weeping Willow}. A 

 beautiful weeping tree, and the best known of 

 the Willows of this character, though not the 

 hardiest that we now know, and sometimes 

 liable to be cut off in cold districts. There is 

 a crisp-leaved variety. It is called Babylonian 



because it was thought to be the tree under 

 which the Jews sat down to weep on the banks 

 of the Euphrates River, but it is now known 

 that the tree which grows on the banks of the 

 Euphrates and resembles a Willow is a Poplar, 

 having narrow Willow-like leaves. Japan and 



The Weeping Willow. 



China. S. Saloinoni is a variety of this, and 

 seems to be a free-growing and most graceful 

 willow, but, with us, not old enough to show 

 its true form. It is a very rapid growing tree, 

 as, indeed, most willows are in river bank soils. 



S. BLANDA (Hybrid Weeping Willow}. 

 This is a vigorous and fine Weeping Willow, 

 though not yet long enough in our country to 

 show its true habit. It is thought to be a 

 hybrid between the Babylon and Crack Wil- 

 lows having regard to its characteristics. 

 The leaves, long even at the base of the 

 branches, are 3 ins. to 5 ins. long by less than 

 I in. across. 



S. CAPREA ( Withy, Sallow, Goat Willow}. 

 The commonest Willow, often a round 

 headed low tree, in our woodlands, and the 

 one which bears the pretty catkins early in 

 spring, and gathered at Easter, called Palm 

 branches. It is used in nurseries throughout 

 Europe as a stock to secure the greatest 

 growth of various Willows, and usually with a 

 fatal result to the life of each kind grafted on 

 it. The Kilmarnock Willow is a weeping 

 variety of this Willow. It is usually grafted, 

 but in this case grafted on its own wild parent, 

 so that the contest between stock and scion, 

 that takes place among grafted Willows, does 

 not occur to the same extent, though even in 

 this case it would be best to increase the plant 

 from cuttings or layers, at least for those who 

 so desire it. 



S. ELEGANTISSIMA. A rapid growing and 

 handsome weeping tree. Willows have a 

 curious way of crossing and intercrossing, 

 hybridising themselves in all sorts of ways, 

 and it s difficult to account for the origin of 

 this ; but from a garden point of view this is: 

 not of so much consequence. It is tall with' 



