1642

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

abeles at once sent over into England from Flanders, and transplanted intomany counties; and Mortimer, writing in the beginning of the eighteenth cen-tury, says that the best sorts of abele trees come from Holland and Flanders.Evelyn mentions the tree as being raised in abundance from cuttings,truncheons,and suckers; adding, that “there is a finer sort of white poplar, which the Dutchcall abeel; and we have of late much of it transported out of Holland.” TheDutch, he adds, “ look upon a plantation of these trees as an ample portionfor a daughter.” ( Hunter's Evelyn , vol. i. p. 209.)

History, The abele was known to the Romans, as we have already noticedwhen giving the history of the genus. As a road-side tree, it has been muchplanted, in modern times, in Holland, Flanders, and in some parts of Franceand Germany. In the forests of France, it is so abundant, in some places, asto form the prevailing tree over extensive tracts of country ; and it furnishesfuel for the adjoining towns; more especially for bakers’ ovens, those of Parisbeing almost entirely heated with the wood of this tree, which is there calledle bois blanc. In Britain, the white poplar has been propagated in nurseriessince the time of Miller; but it does not appear to have been ever very exten-sively planted in masses, though there are trees of it to be found here andthere throughout the country. In Scotland, it was a popular tree about thebeginning of the present century; more especially, as Sang informs us, formoist situations, which it was not thought advisable to drain. In suchsituations, however, though it will grow, it never attains a large size.

Properties and Uses. The wood of the white poplar weighs, when green,58 lb. 3 oz. per cubic foot; and in a dried state, 38 lb. 7 oz.: it shrinks andcracks considerably in drying, losing one quarter of its bulk. The wood ofP. (a.) canescens is said to be much harder and more durable than that of P.alba; in the same manner as the wood of the Tilia europse'a parvifolia is finer-grained and harder than that of T. e. grandifolia. The wood is the whitest ofany of the species; and it is used, in France and Germany, for a variety ofminor purposes, particularly when lightness, either of weight or colour, is thoughtdesirable; or where an artificial colour is to be given by staining. It is excellentfor forming packing-cases, because nails may be driven into it without its split-ting. It is used by the turner and the cabinet-maker, and a great many toysand small articles are made of it. The boards and rollers around whichpieces of silk are wrapped in merchants’ warehouses and in shops are made ofthis wood, which is peculiarly suitable for this purpose, from its lightness,which prevents it much increasing the expense of carriage. The principal useof the wood of the white poplar in Britain is for flooring-boards; but for this pur-pose it requires to be seasoned for two or three years before using. Accordingto Mitchell, when felled at the point of maturity (see description above), abelewood is good for any kind of building purposes, especially on farms, where itis very suitable for the large folding doors for barns, as it is light, and neverwarps. It is also used as a substitute for the wood of the lime tree by musicalinstrument makers, and by carvers in wood. In Scotland, it is sometimesused in mill-work, and by the cabinet-maker and turner; and it is frequentlyused by the cooper, for making wooden dishes and casks. The leaves areeaten by cattle in Sweden, and are considered wholesome. As an ornamentaltree, it is chiefly to be recommended in scenery on a large scale; since its greatheight and ample head overpower most artificial objects, such as buildings;and most exotic trees, from the comparative slowness of their growth. Thefittest trees to plant along with the white poplar are other rapid-growingpoplars and willows; and the fittest situations are the margins of broad rivers,or that of a large lake. In many situations in England, specimens of this treeexist, which, though fine in themselves, injure, by their disproportionate size,the effect of all the surrounding objects. Perhaps the most valuable purposeto which the tree can be applied in Britain, next to that of planting it by riversand lakes, is for planting it in avenues, or by road sides : for the former, it isrecommended on account of the rapidity of its growth; and for the latter, be-cause its trunk is generally clear of branches to a considerable height, and,