CHAP. CIII. SALICA‘CER. PO’PULUS. (1661 
banks, and carries off part of the surface soil, so as to expose that which has 
Jain covered for many years, “ a great quantity of black poplars always spring 
up; and among them are many of the cypress, or Lombardy, poplars.” (Gard. 
Mazg., vol. xii. p. 569.) Signor Manetti, from whom we quote, adds: “ These 
seeds have lain buried in the soil for many years, and were, no doubt, produced 
by the forests which once covered the banks of the Po, the remains of which 
are still to be found in many places.” (Jdid.) To us it appears not impro- 
bable, that the plants alluded to may have sprung up from seeds distributed 
by the winds the same season, as the fresh soil would form a very favourable 
nidus for their reception. The Lombardy, or cypress, poplar is said to be alsoa 
native of Persia and the Himalayas, and to have been mentioned by Avicenna. 
Morier found it abundant in Persia; of which country Bosc and some other 
botanists consider it a native, and thence to have been introduced into Italy. 
The first avenue of Lombardy poplars planted there, Bosc observes, was 
between Milan and Pavia; and the date of this avenue could, doubtless, be 
obtained from the municipal documents of either or both of these cities. It 
is singular, that the Lombardy poplar was not introduced into Tuscany till 
1805; a circumstance which appears to us strongly in favour of the sup- 
position of its not being indigenous to Lombardy, or any part of | Italy. 
So remarkable a tree could not have escaped the notice of the Roman agri- 
cultural writers ; and would, undoubtedly, have been recorded by Pliny, if it 
had been known in Europe in his day. Into France it was introduced in 
