GALE, or SWEET-WILLOW, in botany; a genus of the tetrandra order, belonging to the dioica class of plants.

Species. 1. The gale, or sweet-willow, grows naturally in many places both of Scotland and England. It rises near four feet high, with many thorny stalks, which divide into several slender branches, garnished with stiff spear-shaped leaves of a light yellowish green, smooth, and a little sawed at their points; and emit a fragrant odour when bruised. The female flowers or catkins are produced from the sides of the branches, growing upon separate plants from the female, which are succeeded by clusters of small berries, each having a single seed. It flowers in July, and ripens in autumn. 2. The cerifera, or candleberry gale, is a native of North America. It is a small tree or shrub about twelve feet high, with crooked stems branching forth near the ground irregularly. The leaves are long, narrow, and sharp-pointed. Some trees have most of their leaves serrated, others not. In May, the small branches are alternately and thick set with oblong tufts of very small flowers, resembling in form and size the catkins of the hazel-tree, coloured with red and green. These are succeeded by small clusters of blue berries close connected, like bunches of grapes. The kernel is inclosed in an oblong, hard stone, incrusted over with an unctuous mealy substance, from which the wax is procured in the following manner: in November and December, when the berries are ripe, a man with his family will remove from home to some island or sand-bank near the sea, where these trees most abound, taking with them kettles to boil the berries in. He builds a hut with palmetto-leaves for the shelter of himself. himself and family during his residence there, which is commonly for four or five weeks. The man cuts down the trees, while the children strip off the berries into a porridge-pot; and having put water to them, they boil them till the oil floats, which is then skimmed off into another vessel. This is repeated till no more oil appears. When cold, this hardens to the consistence of wax, and is of a dirty green colour. Then they boil it again, and clarify it in bras kettles; which gives it a transparent greenness. These candles burn a long time, and yield a grateful smell. They usually add a fourth part of tallow, which makes them burn clearer.