The Willow. 



for it never can be too firmly fixed in the. mind of the 

 reader. 



582. I have now to speak of aquatic Willows. All Willows 

 will grow in watery places, but all Willows will not pro- 

 duce rods and twigs wherewith to make baskets and wicker-; 

 work, for some of them are as brittle as any other tree 

 that I know any thing of. The Willow which is generally 

 planted in watery places to produce rods which are called 

 osiers, has a very long and pointed leaf, and a yellowish- 

 coloured bark on the young shoots ; and this is the reason, 

 I suppose, for this and some other Willows being called 

 Sallows. There is another sort, with a broader leaf, and 

 of a whitish hue in both leaf and bark of the young 

 shoot, which grows faster than the former one, but it is 

 coarser, and not so very pliant; but it is probably fitter than 

 the former for large wicker-work. 



583. These things are planted, very fretjuently, almost in 

 the water ; and they will not thrive well, or at least will 

 not be productive for the purposes before-mentioned, unless 

 the situation be very wet. Generally they are in water in 

 flood times ; and half in water, that is to say, half the roots 

 are in water at all times. The crop here is like a crop of 

 grass, it comes every year. The rods are cut off close to 

 the stem after the leaf has fallen and the wood has become 

 ripened. The produce is tied up in bundles, and afterwards 

 carried away to be sold to basket-makers and other persons 

 who make wicker-work. This is a most useful plant 5 the 

 produce is very great; and the good of the thing is, that 

 any mere swamp is a good place to have the plantation in, 

 unless, however, observe, the sea-water, or salt water, or 

 water strongly impregnated with the sea-salt, have access 

 to the swamp, for, let it be observed, that no tree will live 



