162 NEHUASKA STATE IIORTICUI/rURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Crawford: I am just a new member, but I would like to inquire 

 something about the Norway poplar. I know that tree pretty well, but 

 I know it only on paper; I have read and heard a great deal about it. 

 In traveling in the eastern part of this state a short time ago, I learned 

 from several different parties that it happened to be the yellow cotton- 

 wood; I don't know whether that is true and I wanted to trace it up, 

 atid I went to see what the yellow cottonwood was. It is a tree that 

 grows faster than the common cottonwood and it makes better timber, 

 and I was wondering if it was the Norway poplar — that is, if the yellow 

 cottonwood and the Norway poplar were one and the same. I would 

 like to know something about this coming saw log if any of you know 

 anything about it. 



Mr. Harrison: I don't think there is any relation between the two. 

 The cottonwood sheds cotton. The Norway does not. It has seeds like 

 a trembling ash (or asp) ; its growth is different. It has been growing 

 in Minnesota for twenty years. In fifteen years it grew to be seventeen 

 inches through and fifty-five feet tall. They vary sometimes in the size 

 of leaves. A year ago my leaves were of enormous size, but not so large 

 this year; the first year they look very much like Carolina poplar, which 

 by itself is a symmetrical tree; it also throws side branches out, while 

 the other does not. It grows branches straight up, and makes very 

 valuable lumber. It is extremely hardy. In Minnesota it has been grow- 

 ing for years right where the Lombardy poplar died out, and the Caro- 

 lina died also, but this kept growing right along. I got a cutting from 

 Colorado of a poplar growing there called the Diamond poplar; that is 

 an Aspen-leaf poplar; the leaf is as large as the cottonwood and it seems 

 to grow very quickly. 



Mr. Crawford: This yellow poplar, as I understand it, has a very large 

 leaf, larger than the other. The reason I bring this up is I knew Mr. 

 Harrison could answer this. I would like to ask him if he will have 

 any of the leaves of the Norway poplar to show us tomorrow? 



Mr. Harrison: No, I have no leaves. 



A Voice: I would like to tell this gentleman that before the advent 

 of barbed wire fences, when this country was the great American desert, 

 we used to get our cottonwood down on the river; we had to fence our 

 farms with three-rail fences, and we could take a yellow cottonwood and 

 slab it off and make rails two inches thick and four inches wide. We 

 have about exhausted the yellow cottonwood on the river. The white 

 cottonwood splits about like a buckeye; at least that is my experience. 



The President: We are past the hour set for our special busi- 

 ness; if there is anything more concerning Mr. Harrison's paper, let 

 us. get down to it. 



A Member: I would like to give my experience in planting perennials. 

 We have had a great deal of trouble to get something that would look 

 pleasant the whole year. Mr. Harrison's peonies are fine; they rival the 

 rose very closely, but thoy are an unsightly shrub all during the summer; 



