THE POPLARS. 



L29 



figure, and is found in the woods and beside the 

 streams in the Northern States. Its leaf is thick, linn, 

 and borne erect on the twigs; and the large, brown- 

 yellow leaf buds are covered in spring with 

 a fragrant resinous coating. I 

 drawn for comparison the lea^ 

 the three varieties which •<?*, 

 are — var. intermedia, var. 

 mminalis {P. la/wr (folia, 

 Sarg.), and var. latifolia. 



Balm of 



Balm of Gilead. 



Populus 

 balsamifera, 

 var. candicans 



Gilead may 



at once be reco< 



nized by its fra- 

 grant resinous leaf buds ; these 

 are especially odorous in spring- 

 time. It is purely a matter of " Populus balsamifera. 



taste if one considers the buds fragrant; but de 

 gustibus no?i est dixjn/tcntd/im. In my own opinion, 

 the smell is unpleasantly suggestive of the "great 

 unclean," or rather the mildly unclean, who use per- 

 fumery, resulting in a mixture which can not de- 

 ceive! Guessing at an analysis of the perfume in a 

 leaf bud, I should define it thus : equal parts of sandal - 

 wood, patchouli, and barber shop to one part of i 

 sence of boiled onions. The bit of balm of Gilead I 

 had in my hands last September smelled just that way. 



10 



