THE CAROLINA POPLAR. 249 



Even allowing the Carolina Poplar to have but oHe-half the actual 

 fuel value of cottonwood (a most unlikely supposition), and supposing 

 it to grow no more rapidly (which is certainly not the case) it is still 

 a much better heat producer than any other of our common trees. It 

 is safe to assume that in ten years' time the Carolina Poplar will yield 

 an amount of fuel having at least three times the heat value of Ash, 

 five times that of Hickory and Walnut, and ten times that of Oak. It 

 must be remembered that these figures are only approximations, but they 

 are quite certainly below rather than above, so far as the Carolina Poplar 

 is concerned. 



OBJECTIONS TO THE CAROLINA POPLAR. 



That the Carolina Poplar is not without its drawbacks is evident from 

 the objections made by many who have grown it. By some it is pos- 

 itively stated to be much shorter-lived than the common cottonwood, the 

 length of life being given as low as ten to twelve years. That this -can- 

 not be their normal length of life is quite certain from the growth of 

 trees under my personal observation. Near Lincoln are trees 17 years 

 old which are about 60 feet in height, and 15 to 17 inches in diameter. 

 Other trees, 15 years old, are about 50 feet in height and 12 inches in 

 diameter. 



It is quite certain that many Carolina Poplars suffer greatly from the 

 attacks of borers, especially when the trees are isolated. This difficulty 

 is apparently hot as great when the trees are grown in compact planta- 

 tions. 



Still another objection is brought against this tree, and that is that 

 its planting keeps out better trees. In many places, this is without doubt 

 a valid objection, and full weight should be given to it. In many 

 cases, it is far better to plant trees of acknowledged superior qualities, 

 and in such places the planting of the Carolina Poplar is no doubt 

 detrimental, and should not be encouraged. On the other hand, as has 

 already been said, there are many more cases where a rapidly-growing 

 tree, even of inferior quality of wood, is of the utmost importance and 

 usefulness. To the man in the midst of the plain or the prairie, where 

 the need of shade and fuel is a most urgent one, no harm will come 

 from the planting of this or any other rapidly-growing, soft-wooded tree. 



THE NAME. "CAROLINA POPLAR." 



It is the opinion of some persons who have become interested in the 

 question of the value of this tree that the name "Carolina Poplar" is of 

 recent introduction, one correspondent going so far as to say that its 

 use probably did not exceed twenty years, and that "the name has been 

 given in order to defraud the people, by causing them to think they 

 were getting something different from the cottonwood." 



The earliest use of the name Carolina Poplar was by Alton in the 

 first edition of the "Hortus Kewensis," published in 1789 under his 



