5&2 PLANTATIONS OF OSIERS. 



cause them to produce numerous shoots, forming excel- 

 lent rods, hoops, and poles. 



The Sweet or Bay-leaved Willow (S. yentandra) is a 

 pretty common native of Scotland : Here, however, it is 

 scarcely attended to as an osier ; while in Yorkshire its 

 shoots are often used for making the larger sorts of 

 baskets, hampers, and crets. 



The Crack Willow (S. fragilis) is frequent in willow 

 plantations, and, when duly kept down, forms a good 

 osier. The shoots and twigs are flexible and tough ; 

 the name alluding only to the circumstance of their very 

 readily separating at the point of insertion into the 

 trunk. The leaves are about four inches long, and an 

 inch and a half broad, deeply serrated. 



The Bedford or Dishly Willow (S. Russelliana), ha* 

 already been particularly recommended to attention as 

 a tree. When rightly managed, its stools afford very 

 good shoots for hoops or for poles. 



The Common White, or Huntingdon Willow (S. 

 alba) possesses similar qualities with the Bedford Wil- 

 low. The two-year old shoots make pretty good hoops, 

 and excellent poles or stakes. 



Of the above species, nine are decidedly natives of 

 Scotland, viz. S. triandra, mollissima, amygdalina, he- 

 lix, pentandra, fragilis, decipiens, russelliana, and alba. 

 S. viminalis, or common osier, is completely naturalized, 

 being found on the banks of streams, and by the sides 

 of ditches near every village. The same thing is in 

 some measure true of S. stipularis and vitellina. Most 

 of the other species are either indigenous to England, or 

 naturalized in the osier holts of that country. The 

 Violet Willow is therefore the only truly exotic specie* 

 here mentioned. It was introduced from Russia not 

 many years ago. 



