676 AMERICAN FOREST TREES 



rocking chairs. Its range extends from Pennsylvania to Texas. It is 

 sometimes known as Hercules' dub. 



ASPEN (Populus tremuloides) is widely known but not everywhere by the same 

 name. It is called quaking asp, mountain asp, aspen leaf, white poplar, popple, 

 poplar, and trembling poplar. The peculiarity of the tree which is apt to attract 

 attention, and which gives it most of the names it carries, is the leaf's habit of being 

 nearly always in motion. The day is remarkably still if aspen foliage is not stirring. 

 This is due to the long, flat leaf stem, which is so Umber that it offers little resistance 

 to air currents. The difference in color between the upper and lower sides of the 

 leaves affords sufficient contrast to attract notice, and for that reason a person will 

 observe the motion of aspen leaves when he might fail to see a similar movement 

 among the leaves of other species where the contrast of colors is not so marked. 

 Aspen is credited with being the most widely distributed tree of North America. It 

 grows from Tennessee to the Arctic ocean, from Mexico to northern Alaska, from 

 Labrador to Bering strait. It is found at sea level, and at 10,000 feet elevation among 

 the mountains of California. Its very small seeds grow in enormous numbers. 

 Winds carry them miles, and scatter them by millions. They spring up quickly when 

 they fall on mineral soil. This places it in the class with "fire trees" those which take 

 possession of burned tracts. Paper birch is in this class. Aspen has replaced pines 

 over large burned areas of the Rocky Mountains. It grows quickly but is weak if 

 it has to contend with other trees. If crowded it speedily gives up the fight and dies. 

 The wood is not strong, but is useful for several purposes. Next to spruce and hem- 

 lock, it is the most important pulpwood in this country, and it is coming into con- 

 siderable use as lumber. The whiteness of the wood it looks much like holly 

 makes it a favorite for small boxes and vessels for shipping and containing foods. 

 It is made into jelly buckets, lard pails, fish kits, spice kegs, sugar buckets and a long 

 line of similar articles. It turns well, and is made into wooden dishes. Michigan 

 alone uses two and a half million feet of it a year; and it is in demand along the whole 

 northern tier of states from Maine to Washington, but because it is not separately 

 listed in lumber output, it is difficult to say how much is used. Trees are usually 

 small, though trunks three feet in diameter are not unknown. It grows rapidly, and 

 may be expected to fill an important place in this country's future timber supply. 

 There will be no occasion to plant it by artificial means, for nature will attend to the 

 planting. 



