100 LIFE ON THE FARM. 



ers. The wood is so soft and difficult to work that 

 the trees have been considered worthless till of 

 late. It has recently been discovered that the 

 wood has a high commercial value, and can be used 

 for many purposes. It is now used very exten- 

 sively for making paper. 



Its rapid growth and hardiness also make it a 

 favorite with those who wish to have a forest or 

 grove in a few years. An investment in a grove of 

 cottonwood trees will give quick returns. The trees 

 grow readily in almost any part of the United 

 States. They are especially valuable for shade 

 trees, not only in the country, but also in towns 

 and cities. The leaves are so smooth that coal 

 dust does not settle on them to stop up the pores, 

 as is so often the case with trees having rough 

 leaves. They always have a bright, clear, vigor- 

 ous appearance. 



The foliage of a poplar tree is not dense, but the 

 leafy top is beautiful and interesting. The leaves 

 are always in motion. One kind, the aspen-leaf 

 poplar, has its leaves so delicately adjusted on 

 their long petioles that they are in constant motion 

 when no breath of air can be perceived by any 

 other means. 



In their movement they make a noise like a 

 shower of rain, and may often be mistaken for such, 

 even when the sky is clear. 



The leaves are somewhat oval in shape, broad at 

 the base, and pointed at the apex. They are tough 

 in texture, and turn yellow in autumn. 



