AU 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



resembles in its Ibrm, tliough not in its foliage, 

 is the cypress. 



The balsam poplar is a moderate sized conical 

 tree, a native both of Siberia and America : the 

 buds of this tree, from autumn to the leafing sea- 

 son, are covered with a quantity of a glutinous 

 yellow balsam, which often collects into drops, 

 and is pressed from the tree for medical use. 

 This balsam is brought to Europe from Canada 

 in shells. It is smooth, of an even texture, yel- 

 low colour, and fragrant scent, not unlike the 

 flavour of Tolu balsam. In Siberia a medicated 

 wine is prepared from the buds, which is diuretic, 

 and esteemed by the inhabitants as serviceable 

 in scurvy. The grouse and other game birds 

 feeding on these buds during winter, acquire a 

 flavour which is much esteemed by epicures. 



All the poplars are very easily raised from 

 cuttings : they prefer a moist soil, and are of a 

 very rapid growth, but do not last long. 



The chief species and varieties are thus dis- 

 tinguished. 



White Poplar (p. alba J, with roundish leaves, 

 angularly indented, and downy on the under 

 side; trunk straight, and covered with a smooth 

 whitish bark. A vai-iety with larger leaves is 

 called the abele poplar. 



Black Poplar (p. nigra), with pointed, ser- 

 rated leaves; shaped like the letter delta. A, and 

 smaller than those of the former tree. 



Lombardy Poplar (p. dilataia), with leaves 

 smooth on each side; pointed, serrated, and del- 

 toid, broader than long. Branches in form of a 

 cone. 



Aspen, or Tremhling Poplar (p. tremula), 

 with roundish, broadly toothed leaves, smooth 

 on both sides; leafstalks compressed, and long 

 and slender, moving with the least breath of 

 wind. 



Balsam Poplar (p. balsamifera), with oval 

 pointed leaves, closfely serrated, and netted be- 

 neath : the buds are resinous, and of a pale yel- 

 low colour. This tree is of a very quick growth, 

 and attains a considerable size. 



The Willow (salix). Natural family amen- 

 tacecg; dioscia, diandria, of Linnceus. Of the 

 willow family there have been enumerated about 

 one hundred and forty species and varieties. 

 The willow is a light, graceful, and quick grow- 

 ing tree, with generally narrow, lanceolate, and 

 serrated leaves. It flourishes on the banks of 

 rivers and lakes, and other moist situations, and 

 is confined chiefly to the temperate regions of 

 Europe and America. Many of the species arc 

 distinguished by such delicate shades, that it 

 becomes very difiicult to particularize and dis- 

 tinguish them. Soil, situation, and climate, 

 produce so considerable a change in their appear- 

 ance, as to render it difficult to determine what 

 are species and what are varieties. Those kinds 

 M'bicb attain a timber size, are chiefly valued for 



the rapidity of their growth, they produce a 

 great bulk of trunk, and lop in a short time; 

 and the bark of most of the species has recently 

 been used in tanning, being, at an average of 

 sorts, about half as valuable as that of the oak. 

 One great use of the willow is for basket making. 

 The basket-making willows, at least those 

 most generally and frequently used for that pur- 

 pose, (for baskets may be made of the twigs of 

 many others) — are the osier (salix viminalisj; 

 and the yelloio willow ("salix vitellina); the tim- 

 ber tree is the white willow (salix alba); and 

 the ornamental one, the weeping willow (salix 

 Bahylonica), 



a The Osier; b White Willow. 



The osier is a native of most parts of Europe, 

 and grows spontaneously in fenny places. When 

 allowed, it becomes a small tree, but it is gener- 

 ally cut down for basket-work. The osier grows 

 very rapidly; and is used only for the coarser 

 basket-work, unless when split into pieces. On 

 the banks of large rivers, osier beds may be 

 planted with great advantage; and the osier will 

 also thrive in dry situations if the soil be good. 

 Cuttings of osiers take root very readily, and 

 it is not of much consequence which end of 

 them be put into the ground. They are of great 

 use in giving consistency to banks and embank- 

 ments, which are in danger of being washed 

 away. There are many osier beds in the Thames, 

 which are generally cut about once in three 

 years, and are very profitable to their proprie- 

 tors. 



The shoots of the yellow willow are much 

 more slender than those of the osier: they are 

 very tough; and on that account they are well 

 adapted for the finer kinds of basket-work. 



In common language, osier is used for almost 

 any willow tree, while of that which botanists 

 call the osier there are many varieties. 



The white arborescent willow grows to a large 

 size, by the sides of rivers; and when the wind 

 agitates its twigs, and turns up the silvery sides 

 of its leaves, it has a fine nppeai'ance. It is a 

 native of most parts of Europe. 



The weeping willow is a native of the Levant; 

 but it thrives very well in England, if the situa- 

 tion be not too cold for it, and if it be near 



