This is a very ornamental tree, and rises to the height of eighty or ninety feet, with a diameter of from four to six feet. It is rapid of growth, and makes a good windbreak. Some sharpers, quite recently, praised the white willow up to be such an excellent hedge-plant, and circulated such extravagant stories of its beauties in that respect, that enormous quantities of shoots and cuttings were sold, and this fraud was carried to such an extent as to injure the reputation of the tree as a wind-break and for fuel. I, for one, however, can testify that in a short time, if grown thickly together, it forms an almost impenetrable wind-break. The trees are not worth much for lumber on account of not being able to withstand the changes of weather. The wood is white, soft, and light. It produces long, straight, lithe poles, which are sometimes used for fence-rails. Its most extensive use is in the production of charcoal for gunpowder; it is also used for tanning purposes.