WILLOWS AND POPLARS 



Who has not admired the soft gray silky 

 buds of the "pussy" willow, swelling with the 

 spring's impulse, and ripening quickly into a 

 "catkin" loaded with golden pollen? Nowadays 

 the shoots of this willow are "forced" into 

 bud by the florists, and sold in the cities in 

 great quantities ; but really to see it one must 

 find the low tree or bush by a stream in the 

 woods, or along the roadside^ with a chance 

 to note its fullness of blossom. It is finest just 

 when the hepaticas are at their bluest on the 

 warm hillsides; and, one sunny afternoon of a 

 spring journey along the north branch of the 

 Susquehanna river, I did not know which of 

 the two conspicuous ornaments of the deeply 

 wooded bank made me most anxious to jump 

 from the too swiftly moving train. 



This pussy-willow has pleasing leaves, and 

 is a truly ornamental shrub or small tree which 

 will flourish quite well in a dry back yard, as 

 I have reason to know. One bright day in 

 February I found a pussy-willow tree, with its 

 deep purple buds showing not a hint of the 

 life within. The few twigs brought home 

 quickly expanded when placed in water, and 



105 



