366 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



TULIP TREE - LEAVES UNFOLDING. FROM THE BUD 





YELLOW POPLAR PROFITABLE 



YELLOW poplar, one of the 

 finest and the largest of Amer- 

 ican broadleaf trees, can be 

 grown profitably in the timber 

 tracts of the southern Appalachians. 

 This conclusion is set forth in a report 

 written by W. W. Ashe, of the Forest 

 Service, and recently published by the 

 Geological Survey of Tennessee. 



An investment in young yellow pop- 

 lar stands will yield 4 per cent com- 

 pound interest. In addition to this, 

 there is a probable, though indetermi- 

 nate, return due to the natural increase 

 in stumpage prices. This increase, 

 based on average-sized yellow poplar 

 trees, has amounted during the past 20 

 years to 13 per cent compounded 

 annually. 



There is more lumber produced from 

 yellow poplar than from any other 

 southern hardwood except oak. The 

 commercial range of the tree is re- 

 stricted mainly to the southern Appa- 

 lachian Mountains of the Virginias, 

 Carolinas, Krntuckv, and Tennessee, 



where it grows to be more than 100 

 feet high and over 5 feet in diameter. 

 Some specimens have been found in 

 Virginia nearly 200 feet high and 10 

 feet through. 



The wood itself has the same gen- 

 eral characteristics as that of white pine, 

 and its range of uses is about the same. 

 Each is utilized for almost anything not 

 requiring great strength or toughness. 



The qualities which favor the exten- 

 sive use of poplar are its straight grain, 

 its lack of odor, the readiness with 

 which it takes paint, and the ease with 

 which it can be worked. Doors, panel- 

 ing, packing boxes, type cases, drawers, 

 kitchen woodenware, and toys are made 

 largely of yellow poplar. In Tennessee 

 wooden mixing bowls are turned out in 

 sizes up to 4 feet in diameter from one 

 piece of wood. Yellow poplar stands 

 well in situations exposed to the 

 weather, as in pumps, outside steps, 

 shingles, and fencing. It is not durable 

 in contact with the soil, though it can 

 be readily treated with preservatives. 



