THE HORSE CHESNUT. 123 



its pyramids of large white flowers, delicately marked 

 with red and yellow. It grows very rapidly, and to a 

 great height; but the timber is soft, spongy, and not 

 durable, and therefore of little value. It is white, 

 but every way inferior to the lime, as it does not stand 

 the tool, and almost any thing will scratch it. It has 

 sometimes been used by the turner, and also for 

 pipes; but though it is cheap, the advantage of 

 using it is very questionable. As it requires a 

 good soil, it is not worth cultivating but as an 

 ornamental tree. The Turks are said to grind the 

 nuts, and mix them with the food of their horses 

 (whence the common name): they devour them 

 with avidity, and they are stated to be eaten whole by 

 sheep and by poultry when boiled; but hogs refuse 

 them both raw and prepared. The bark of the horse- 

 chesnut has been employed with some success in dye- 

 ing yellow. The leaves drop off early in the season, 

 and then the appearance of the tree is rather un- 

 sightly. 



POPLAR. 



Of the Poplar (Populus) there are about fifteen 

 species described; but it is necessary to mention 

 only two as timber trees : the white poplar, or spread- 

 ing poplar (Populus canescens) ; and the Lombardy 

 poplar, or poplar of the valley of the Po (Populus 

 dilatata), which is spire-shaped, has its branches at 

 very small angles with the trunk, and runs up to a 

 great height. The abele tree (Populus -alba) is dis- 

 tinguished by its broad leaves. All the poplars are 

 fond of moisture, and may be planted near marshy 

 places, where few other trees, save the alder, will grow. 



The small-leaved white poplar is a native of most 

 parts of Europe ; but it is doubtful whether the large- 

 leaved one, the abele, be a native of England, at 

 all events, the plants of it were obtained chiefly from 



