WILLOWS. 177 



in the southern part of the state, extending- through the Big 

 Woods north to Mille Lacs County. 



Propagation. The same as for Shellbark Hickory. 



Properties of wood. Heavy, very hard, strong, tough and 

 close grained, liable to check badly in drying; color dark 

 brown with thick light brown or nearly white sapwood. 

 Specific gravity 0.7552; weight of a cubic foot 47.06 pounds. 



Uses. The Bitternut Hickory is a good ornamental tree 

 and quite hardy in proper locations in Minnesota. It is prob- 

 ably the most desirable of the hickories either for ornamental 

 use or for hoop poles in this section. The wood is inferior 

 to that of the Shellbark Hickory, but is used for about the 

 same purposes. It is said that in early days an oil pressed 

 from the nuts was used for illuminating purposes. 



"Willow Family. 



A large family of trees and shrubs mostly inhabiting cold 

 climates. Leaves alternate, simple, undivided and furnished 

 with stipules which are scale-like and deciduous, or leaf-like 

 and persistent. Flowers, dioecious, both kinds in catkins, 

 one under each bract or scale of the catkin, without calyx or 

 corolla; in some cases the calyx is represented by a gland- 

 like cup; ovary 1 or 2-celled. Fruit a 1 or 2-celled, 2-valved 

 pod with numerous seeds attached to a parietal or basal 

 placenta, ripening in early summer and furnished with long, 

 silky down. 



Genus SALIX. 



Leaves generally narrow, long and pointed. Flowers ap- 

 pear before or with the leaves, in terminal or lateral, cylin- 

 drical, imbricated, generally erect catkins; two or more dis- 

 tinct or united stamens; stigmas 2, short. Fruit a 1-celled 2 

 valved pod. Trees or shrubs with smooth round branches 

 usually found growing in moist land. A large and valuable 

 genus of over one hundred and sixty species, the greater 

 number belonging to Europe and Asia. About sixty species 

 belong to North America. A dwarf willow is found growing 



