“The family-name of this tree is Salix, from a word that means ’to spring,’ because a willow-branch, if planted, will take root and grow so quickly that it seems almost like magic.  ’And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses,’ says the prophet Isaiah, speaking of the children of the people of God.  The flowers of the willow are of two kinds—­one bearing stamens, and the other pistils—­and each grows upon a separate plant.  When the ovary, at the base of the pistil, is ripe, it opens by two valves and lets out, as through a door, multitudes of small seeds covered with a fine down, like the seeds of the cotton-plant.  This downy substance is greedily sought after by the birds as a lining for their nests, and they may be seen carrying it away in their bills.  And in some parts of Germany people take the trouble to collect it and use it as a wadding to their winter dresses, and even manufacture it into a coarse kind of paper.”

“What queer people!” exclaimed Clara.  “And how funny they must look in their wadded dresses!”

“They are not graceful people,” was the reply, “but they live in a cold climate and show their good sense by dressing as warmly as possible.  It was quite a surprise, though, to me to find that the willow was of use in clothing people.  The more we learn of the works of God, the better we shall understand that last verse of the first chapter of the Bible:  ’And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.’  The bees, too, are attracted by the willow catkins, but they do not want the down.  On mild days whole swarms of them may be seen reveling in the sweets of the fresh blossoms.  ’Cold days will come long after the willow catkins appear, and the bees will find but few flowers venturesome enough to open their petals.  They have, however, thoroughly enjoyed their feast, and the short season of plenty will often be the means of saving a hive from famine.’”

“Are willow baskets made of willow trees?” asked Malcolm.

“Yes,” said Miss Harson.  “Basket-making has been a great industry in England from the earliest times; the ancient Britons were particularly skillful in weaving the supple wands of the willow.  They even made of these slender stems little boats called ‘coracles,’ in which they could paddle down the small rivers, and the boats could be carried on their shoulders when they were walking on dry land.”

“Just like our Indians’ birch-bark canoes,” said Malcolm, who was reading about the North American Indians.  “But isn’t it strange, Miss Harson, that the Indians and the Britons didn’t get drowned going out in such little light boats?”

“Their very lightness buoyed them up upon the waves,” was the reply; “but it does seem wonderful that they could bear the weight of men.  The willow, however, was also used by the Romans in making their battle-shields, and even for the manufacture of ropes as well as baskets.  The rims of cart-wheels, too, used to be made of willow, as now they are hooped with iron; so, you see, it is a strong wood as well as a pliant one.  The kind used for basket-making is the Salix viminalis, and the rods of this species are called ‘osiers.’  Let us see now what this English book says of the process of basket-making: