Among the broad-leaved trees there are still several familiar families, all loved by some of us for some reason.
The willow is always a striking tree, not only because of its weeping or drooping appearance, but also because we usually associate it with water.
What is more common in the country than a stream hidden by the willows which crowd its bank and dip down into the clear water!
Then, too, we watch it for the first sign of spring, and friends in different states often vie with each other to discover the first pussy willow, the name given to the soft, downy buds which appear often before the snow has melted.
Fig. 115. Leaf and Bract of Linden
The willow is dear to boys, because on the green twigs in spring the bark can be separated from the wood and a whistle or simple flute manufactured.
The wood of the willow is not very valuable, being used chiefly by pulp makers, but it grows where no other trees can exist, being found nearly all over the world, and creeping nearer to the north pole than any other broad-leaved tree except the birch. It has over one hundred and fifty varieties, which vary from small shrubs up to trees a hundred feet high. Its soft and gentle beauty is sufficient excuse for its existence.