FORESTS, FOREST TREES, AND AFFORESTATION IN CHOSEN. 49 



the ground. No tree yields more valuable fence posts, and the 

 timber was formerly much used in construction. The Robinia 

 was at one time very largely planted in New York and other 

 northern states as a timber tree, but it is always, outside its 

 natural habitat on the Appalachian Mountains, so injured by 

 boring insects that its cultivation has been abandoned ; and 

 although the tree is very hardy in much colder regions than 

 Massachusetts, it is practically impossible, thanks to the borers, 

 to keep trees alive here more than a few years. 



It is claimed that when the trees are planted close together 

 in forest work they suffer less from borers than isolated trees, 

 but I have no proof of this. In recent years the Robinia has 

 been planted in great quantities in western Pennsylvania by the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad ,to produce railway ties, but it is too 

 soon to speak of the success of this undertaking. The wood, 

 of course, would make good mine timber, but I should think 

 that Pinus densiflora would serve equally well for that purpose, 

 and I believe that sticks sufficiently large for the purpose could 

 be produced more rapidly and with greater certainty from the 

 pine than from the Robinia. 



Populus monilifera, or deltoidea, suffers a good deal from 

 borers when young, but when the trees get old enough to form 

 thick bark they appear to be able to resist. I never heard that 

 the wood had been used for match sticks, but there is no reason 

 why it should not be. 



I should think a much better tree to plant in Korea than 

 either the Lombardy Poplar or the Cottonwood would be what 

 is known in this country as the Carolina Poplar, which is 

 probably a hybrid between the Lombardy Poplar and the 

 Cottonwood. This tree grows with extraordinary rapidity, is 

 perfectly hardy, and, so far as I know, is not much attacked by 

 borers. The wood would have the same value as that of the 

 Cottonwood. This tree has been very largely planted in the 

 cities of the middle west as a shade tree. It does well, but it 

 grows so vigorously that the roots interfere with sewers and 

 drain-pipes, and for this reason it is being abandoned. Why 

 would Populus Maximowiczii not be the right poplar to plant in 

 Korea? — Faithfully yours, C. S. Sargent. 



The foregoing report by Mr E. H. Wilson will be read with 

 interest by the members. 



VOL. XXXIII. PART I. D 



