218 



PEACTIGAL FOKESTEY. 



cemeteries, and will probably continue to have its admirers for 

 all time. It is sometimes called the Babylonian Willow, but it 

 is certainly not a native of Babylon or any other hot chmate, 

 but is without doubt a native of Northern Asia. 



The Hoop-leaved or Eing-leaved Willow {S. annularis)^ 

 is a variety of the so-called Babylonian Willow, with 

 leaves curved into a ring, but of a similar weeping habit. I 

 The next most familiar species is the White Willow {S. alba), 

 which has been highly extolled, and quite extensively planted 

 for fencing and fuel in the Western States, and Avhile it is a 

 rapid growing tree, and the wood moderately firm and good 

 for a willow, still it is an inferior forest tree, and scarcely 

 worth cultivating where other and better species will grow. 

 This species, and its variety with yellow twigs (*S'. alba, var. 

 vitellina), are quite common along the banks of small streams 

 and ponds in the Eastern States, where they have been planted 

 for ornament, or shade for stock in pastures. All of these large 

 growing willows have very large masses of fine fibrous roots 

 that penetrate the soil to a great depth, and will push to a great 

 distance in search of moisture, and for this reason they should 

 never be planted near drains, wells, or where their roots will be 

 likely to do injury to these or similar structures. There are 

 many small ornamental varieties that are well worthy of a 

 a place in gardens and pleasure grounds, but as they are fully 

 described in nurserymen's catalogues, and are of no considera- 

 ble economic value, I omit further reference to them here. 



SAMBUcus, Tour. — Elder. 



A small genus of no especial importance, although some of 

 the species have had some reputation for their medicinal prop- 

 erties. They are principally small shrubs, with one European 

 and one Asiatic herbaceous species. Flowers small but numer- 

 ous, in compound cymes or clusters. Fruit, a small, round, 

 juicy drupe, but usually called a berry, containing several sepa- 

 rate seed-like nutlets, each with one seed. Only one species 

 that becomes a tree. 



Sambucus glanca^ Nutt. — Tree-Elder. — Leaflets three to nine, of 

 firm texture, ovate or lanceolate, sharply serrate, with rigid, 

 spreading teeth. Flowers in a broad, flat cluster or cyme. Fruit 

 black, but with so much bloom, that they appear to be white ; 

 pith of shoots white. A small tree, but sometimes twenty feet 

 high, and a stem a foot in diameter. Wood Hke that of all the 



