WILLOWS AND POPLARS 



gave us their forecast of the spring. One twig 

 was, out of curiosity, left in the water after the 

 catkins had faded, merely to see what would 

 happen. It bravely sent forth leaves, while at 

 the base little white rootlets appeared. Its 

 vigor appealing to us, it was planted in an arid 

 spot in our back yard, and it is now, after a 

 year and a half, a handsome, slender young 

 tree that will give us a whole family of silken 

 pussy -buds to stroke and admire another spring. 

 This same little tree is called also the 

 glaucous willow, and it is botanically Salix 

 discolor. It is more distinct than some others 

 of the family, for the willow is a great mixer. 

 The tree expert who will unerringly distin- 

 guish between the red oak and the scarlet 

 oak by the precise angle of the spinose mar- 

 gins of the leaves (how I admire an accuracy 

 I do not possess ! ) will balk at which is crack 

 willow, or white willow, or yellow or blue 

 willow. The abundant vigor and vitality and 

 freedom of the family, and the fact that it is 

 of what is known as the dioecious habit — that 

 is, the flowers are not complete, fertile and 

 infertile flowers being borne on separate trees 



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