1662

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART IIJ,

1749; and, judging from the trees between Carlsruhe and Durlach , it musthave found its way about the same time into Germany . The first trees im-ported into France were planted on the banks of the canal of Montargis ;and the first avenue formed in Germany was that between Carlsruhe and Dur-lach, described in p. 147. Extensive avenues of this tree have since beenplanted in France, Belgium, and Germany . Every traveller in Prussia musthave observed those in the neighbourhood of Berlin . According to th ellortusKewensis, it was introduced into England about 1758, by the Earl of Roch-ford, from Turin , where he was ambassador; and he planted it at St. Osyth’s,in Essex , in which county this poplar is said still to go by his name. Dr.Walker states that cuttings of the Lombardy poplar were first brought toLondon by the Earl of Hertford, in the year 1763; and, Recording to others,the plant was first imported as part of the package of some statuary, sent toWhitton, for the Duke of Argyll, who began to plant in 1720, and died in1761. (See p. 57.) Cuttings from the trees raised by Lord Hertford weresent to New Posso, in Tweeddale, in 1765; and the tree was also extensivelydistributed in Scotland, some years afterwards, by Lord Gardenstone , whobrought the cuttings direct from Italy (See his Travelling Memorandum.)The tree has since been generally planted throughout Europe , chiefly as anavenue,or roadside, tree; or as an ornamental tree among houses in towns;but in part, also, for its timber.

Properties and Uses. The wood, according to Manetti, is inferior to that of P.nigra; but it will do very well for packing-cases. The branches, he adds, areof very little use either for fuel or vine-props ; and, in consequence, its cultureas a useful tree in Lombardy is now very generally abandoned in favour of that ofP. nigra. ( Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 570.) When Arthur Young travelled in Italy ,he found that the Lombardy poplar grew to the height of 40 ft. in 8 years; andthat in 12 years it was fit to cut down for building purposes. Rafters, smallbeams, studs, boards, &c., brushed over with coal tar and brick-dust, laid onhot, have stood sixteen years without the least decay. In twenty years, hesays, the tree will produce a trunk 2 ft. in diameter, which, being cut down, issawn green into thin boards, Jin. ora Ain. in thickness, for packing-cases,and similar uses. All the vessels in which grapes were carried home fromthe vineyards were formerly made of Lombardy poplar planks, about 2in.thick; but they are now formed of the wood of P. nigra. Such vesselslast 30 or 40 years; and, in consequence of their lightness, are manageable,however large and long they may be. A 4-wheeled cart is, in general,covered with one of them; and it contains about 15 cwt. of grapes. InFrance, both the Lombardy and black Italian poplars are formed intofences by being planted when the plants are about 6 ft. high, in lines6 in. apart. The stems are connected by a horizontal rod, about 3 ft.from the ground; and a fence is thus produced the first season. After thetrees composing the fence have grown five or six years, they are cut down, andafford a very considerable bulk of timber, fit for slight agricultural buildings,fencing, and fuel. In some cases, the trees, instead of being cut down, arethinned, and those that remain are suffered to attain a timber-like size, notbeing cut down till the expiration of eighteen or twenty years ; but this modeis only followed when the fields enclosed are of such a size as not to beinjured by the shade of the trees.

In Britain, the great use of the Lombardy poplar is as a tree for plantingamong houses, and where it is required to form a contrast with round-headedtrees in ornamental plantations. It is admirably adapted for planting wstreets, and among houses in towns and villages; from the little space occu-pied by its branches, which are compressed about the trunk, so as not tointerfere with the walls, nor to obstruct the access of light to the windows.The next best poplars for this purpose are the balsam and Ontario poplars,and the observations which we are about to quote in favour of the use ot tLombardy poplar in scenery will also apply, in some degree, to these twospecies. The employment of the Lombardy poplar for contrasting wi