WILLOW 



Bark. Similar to that of the common Beech : smooth not fis- 

 sured. 



Uses, etc. " Piles, wet foundations, planes, cogs, printing 

 (block letters), . . . subject to the attacks of worms " (95). 

 " Inclined to check in drying : difficult to season, . . . chairs, 

 shoe-lasts, handles, fuel" (100). " A tree attaining the height of 

 100 ft. by 48 inches diameter, usually much smaller, . . . wood 

 tough, close-grained : takes a beautiful polish, . . . used for 

 ships' timbers to some extent " (49). 



Authorities. Robb (95). Sargent (100), No. 291. Hough 

 (49), pt. i. p. 63. Macoun (66), vol. iii. p. 444. 



Colour. " Dark red, but often light : sap-wood, nearly white " 

 (100). Almost indistinguishable from the European Beech, F. 

 sylvatica, No. 202. Perhaps the greater fineness of the fibres 

 of the ground-tissue in tangential section (? constant) and 

 the tenuity of the ends and the comparatively wide intervals 

 between the thickest portions of the rays may serve as slight dis- 

 tinctions. The rays are also very long and the silver-grain is 

 broad and pink in colour. 



Type specimen authenticated by Hough. 



No. 206. WILLOW. Salix caprea. Linn. 



Plate XV. Fig. 130. 



Natural Order. Salicinese. 



Synonym. S. cinerea, Linn. 



Alternative Names. Common Sallow : Sally : Goat-willow : 

 Grey willow. Saule marceau (70) : Marsault : Marsaule (69) in 

 France. Sahlweide (113). 



Sources of Supply. Europe generally. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 27-39 ^°s. P er 

 cu. ft. Hardness Grade 7, compare Deal. Smell and taste none. 

 Burns indifferently, needs draught, crackles noisily : embers glow- 

 in still air and consume very rapidly. Solution colourless. 



Grain. Very fine and open. Surface lustrous. 



Bark. Brown, rather shiny : later deeply fissured and corky. 



Uses, etc. Cricket-bats, soles of carts, hoops, hop-poles. In 

 France for ladders, sabots, carving, Esparto (69) chip-boxes : 

 splits very easily and cleanly : does not splinter when bruised : 

 fairly durable when exposed to the weather. 



Authorities. Nordlinger (87), p. 539. Ditto (86), vol. iii. p. 61. 

 Schwartz, p. 486. Hartig (42). Mathieu (69), p. 463-6. West- 

 ermeier (129), p. 30. Du Mornay (70), p. 97. Boppe (11), p. 83. 

 Weisner (113), L. 12, p. 881. 



Seldom confused with other woods on account of its distinctive 

 colour. 



235 



