THE POPLAR. 125 



Continent a species of poplar is manufactured into 

 thin slices, called sparterie, which is made up into 

 ladies' bonnets. The seeds of the white poplar, also, 

 are surrounded with a sort of cotton, of which it has 

 been attempted to manufacture paper and even cloth. 

 Pallas, in his travels, attempted to show that the 

 cotton of the Populus alba was as valuable as that of 

 America; but no experiments upon it have yet been 

 .successful. 



In Holland, the black poplar is also much culti- 

 vated. It grows rapidly, is cut down at about twenty- 

 four years old, and made into wooden shoes, and 

 other articles. . The timber is of nearly the same 

 quality as that of the white poplar, perhaps a little 

 better; and it is used for almost the same purposes. 



The trembling poplar, or aspen, is singular on ac- 

 count of the agitation of its leaves by the slightest 

 breeze that can stir. It is very generally diffused, 

 and the timber of it, though it does not attain quite 

 the same size, is applied to the same purposes. 



The leaves of almost all the poplars are of a pale or 

 silver colour on the under sides, and the twigs are 

 flexible, which gives them an agreeable variegation of 

 colour when agitated by the wind. The susceptibility 

 of motion is one of the accidental beauties of trees; 

 and the motion of the poplar is peculiarly graceful, 

 for it waves in one simple sweep from the top to the 

 bottom, and the least breath of wind stirs it, when 

 other trees are at rest. 



The Lombardy poplar grows rapidly, and shoots in 

 a compact spire to a great height. It is not so hardy 

 as the others; but when planted in a favourable soil, 

 it will grow at the rate of four or five feet in height 

 annually. 



The timber of the Lombardy poplar is even worse 

 than that of the other poplars; but for temporary 

 purposes the rapidity of its growth is some compen- 



VOL. II. 11* 



