TREE WILLOWS 381 



WILLOWS. 



Salix alba =The White Willow. 1 



Salix alba caerulea. 



Salix viridis. 2 



Salix fragilis =The Crack Willow. 



Salix viminalis =The Osier. 



Salix caprea =The Goat Willow or Sallow. 



Of the above mentioned trees, the first four are tree 

 Willows of considerable importance. Salix viminalis is the 

 Osier which is cultivated for the production of basket 

 material ; 3 but 5. caprea a small broad-leaved tree is of 

 little sylvicultural value, and practically worthless. Salix 

 caprea is a native tree to this country ; so also, in all 

 probability, is Salix alba and its varieties ; but S. fragilis and 

 5. viminalis have been introduced from foreign countries. 



The propagation of Willows is effected by means of 

 " cuttings " or " sets," which should be obtained from stool 

 shoots or from the young branches of pollarded trees. Such 

 cuttings will produce a far more vigorous growth than 

 cuttings taken from the young wood, at the ends of the 

 old branches, on ordinary standard trees. The cuttings 

 should be taken when the sap is rising in the spring, and, 

 if not immediately planted out, they should be left with their 

 ends in water. 



The Timber of the tree Willows is light in weight, soft, 

 and very tough, and, as a general rule, can be used for any 

 of the purposes for which Poplar timber is used. 



The economic value of the cultivation of tree Willows 

 lies chiefly in the use of the timber for the manufacture of 



1 S. alba is also sometimes known as the Huntingdon Willow. 



2 S. viridis has also been known as 5. Russelliana or the Bedford 

 Willow ; but, locally, these names are also applied to S. fragilis. 

 Therefore, in order to avoid confusion, local names should be aban- 

 doned. 



3 For further information about Osiers and their cultivation, vide 

 Board of Agriculture Leaflet, No. 36. 



