



.^*a^ 



*^ ' t. 



2231 Same tree i 



The genus is repress 

 neuts. It is, liowever, 

 temperate regions tlian 

 are several speciei 



Sal 



ted by species in both conti- 

 mucli more abundant iu north 

 a south. In the frigid regions 

 a and several allied 



species are among the few woody plants extending 

 into extreme arctic regions. The arctic sjiecies are 

 among the most diminutive of \\uo.l\- pliiiiis. As one 

 goes south the species incnasc- mi ^i/r, >miim. of the 

 specie-s of north temperate, tri>pi<;il ;iiii| >imjiIi it-niperate 

 zones are large trees. The iirli.n . -r, m ^|„., i,.s all form 

 wood very rapidly. Specimen^ "t Whirr Willow which 

 may not be of great age look v.iicrr.l.lr liMin tlieir great 

 thickness. The wood is light in w.iu-lit ami color, finely 

 and evenly porous. The wood ha.^ bii n extensively 

 used in the manufacture of Lj:uupowder. It has also 

 been used for many other purposes. Certain species 

 have for many years been extensively cultivated in Eu- 

 rope for materials with which to manufacture baskets. 

 6'. viiiiiiiulis appears to be the favorite species for this 

 purpose. Basket Willow is now extensively culti\ated 

 in central New York, and considerable manufacturing 

 of this material is done there. 



As ornamental trees the Willows present little variety 

 The bright yellow catkins of some species are attractn e 

 in spring. They are considerably used as nuise trees 

 for slower growing trees that require partial shade 

 while young. The red and yellow branches of certain 

 Willows are very bright and cheering m winter The 

 wei-|iiin,' f..nris are very popular, but they are often 

 plant. ■,! «iili liitl,. sense of fitness. The cultural re 

 mark- uii.lrr /'.././,/»»■ will apply to Willows 



Willows an- rari/ly propagated from seed The seeds 

 are very small and contain a green and sboit lived 

 embryo. A very short exposure of the seeds to the air 

 will so dry them out that they will not germmate The 

 safest way to secure seedlings is to plant the seeds 

 as soon .as the capsule opens. Many hybruK hxvi 

 been described based on specimens found m natuie that 

 presented characters intermediate between rn denized 

 specie-*. .Artificial hybrids have also been made between 



many -it i.-v Tlif dioecious habit of the species seems 



to t.Miliiii. ,1 jiollination, and it seems probable 



thai ! , iio forms so frequentlj met with and 



<l''-i-' I 'i ii i monographs as varieties are natural 

 hylwhl . Ii.u^uils of one hundred h^biid Willows 

 have b.-on di-scrihed as growing in Europe \lthougli 

 as many or even more species occur in Anuiica fewei 

 hybrids have been detected here. The h\brids de 

 scribed as growing in America are for the most part he 

 tween native species and those introduced from Europe 



101 



of Salix alba 



