THE LOMBAEDY POPLAR 



THERE are not many trees that take the shape of a 

 long spire ; but Nature, who presents to our eyes an ever- 

 charming variety of forms as well as colors, has given us 

 this figure in the arbor- vitse, the juniper, and the Lom- 

 bardy Poplar. This was the species which was cultivated 

 by the Eomans, the classic Poplar of Korne and Athens. 

 To this tree Ovid alludes when he describes the resi- 

 nous drops from the Poplar as the tears of Phaeton's 

 sisters, who were transformed into poplars. Smith says : 

 " Groves of poplar and willow exhibit this phenomenon, 

 even in England, in hot calm weather, when drops of 

 clear water trickle from their leaves like a slight shower 

 of rain." 



The Lombardy Poplar is interesting to thousands in 



this country, who were familiar with it in their youth. 



as an ornament of roadsides, village lanes, and avenues. 



It was once a favorite shade-tree, and still retains its 



privileges in some ancient homesteads. A century ago, 



eat numbers of Lombardy Poplars were planted by 



Tillage waysides, in front of dwelling-houses, on the bor- 



dW of public grounds, and particularly in avenues lead- 



inVto houses that stand at some distance from the high 



ro. A row of these trees is even now suggestive of an 



appoach to some old mansion, that still retains its primi- 



tivejimplicity. 



Gbat numbers of Lombardy Poplars were destroyed at 

 the Iginning of this century, from the notion that they 

 a poisonous worm or caterpillar. But some of 



