THE CAROLINA POPLAR 203 



Now if we call the Carolina Poplar Populus anguhita, what shall we 

 call the Cottonwood? This question may be answered briefly, as follows: 



The Eastern Cottonwood that we used to call Populus monilifera, is 

 clearly the tree that Marshall first describes and named Populus deltoidea 

 in the earliest book on American trees — his "Arbustum Americanum," pub. 

 lished in 1785, so this must be the name of the Eastern Cottonwood. Our 

 Western Cottonwood has borne several names, but it seems now that the 

 one which it will have to bear is Populus sargeiitii, a name given in 

 honor of our greatest American student of trees. We may bring the 

 matter together in this way: 



Eastern Cottonwood — Populus deltoidea. 

 Carolina Poplar — Populus augulata. 

 Western Cottonwood— Populus sargentii. 



The Jfew 'Same "Norway Poplar." 



Several years ago we began to hear about the "Norway Poplar," and 

 I have repeatedly been asked as to its name and relationship. So a year 

 or two ago I took up the matter and after a careful examinaion of speci- 

 mens I found that they agreed perfectly with specimens of Carolina Poplar. 

 I know that some of the nurserymen say that the root system is different 

 and all that, but I suspect that this is merely one of the devices they have 

 resorted to in order to sell their trees better. When I made the announce- 

 ment to some of the people who have "Norway Poplars" for sale, they 

 said that above ground the tree was apparently the same as the "Carolina 

 Poplar" but that below ground, where I had not seen it, it was "very 

 different". I do not believe this at all. I am confident it is nothing 

 but a trick of the trade and that we have here the same old Carolina 

 Poplar, sold under another name. This of course, as everybody knows, 

 is one of the oldest tricks for the sale of trees. When a thing has practi- 

 cally run its course under an old name the thing to do, the thing that is 

 done, is to get up a new name and to push the old thing under this new 

 name. And that is what has been done in this case. 



I am sure from all I have seen of it that the "Norway Poplar" 

 is nothing else than the "Carolina Poplar." It has been given a new name 

 for commercial purposes, the old name having worn out. Just notice 

 that after a while when "Norway Poplar" wears out as "a name to con- 

 jure with," the people who have such things for sale will get up another 

 name, such as "Scotch poplar" perhaps, or possibly "Russian Poplar." 

 anything new and quite northern. If you want to make a hit you might 

 call it the "North Pole Poplar," "Greenland Poplar," or Alaska Poplar." 

 It is very funny when you think of it how names are changed for com- 



ft mercial purposes, and how people will buy the old thing under the new 



^Ljiame. 



^M To sum up then: — The Norway Poplar is only another name for the 



^■Carolina Poplar, and must bear the old name of Populus angulat-. Nor- 



