104 LONDON TREES 



little apt to break across in either still or stormy 

 weather. The Balsam Poplar (P. balsamiferd) is also 

 a good town tree, but the sticky, resinous exudation 

 from the buds and leaves catches and retains the 

 dust. The foliage is deliciously fragrant, but the tree 

 is apt to become diseased and to be attacked by both 

 insects and fungi. It is not common throughout 

 London, though good specimens may be seen in Soho 

 and by the Commercial Road in the East End. 



The Fastigiate Poplar (P. nigra pyramidalis or 

 P . fastigiatd) is one of the most useful of London trees, 

 where it succeeds admirably and quickly forms a 

 most effective screen or shelter fence. It is raised in 

 large numbers in most of the public nurseries in and 

 around the Metropolis. Probably the largest trees of 

 this kind are growing in Waterlow Park, where many 

 have attained to huge proportions. Though thriving 

 best in rich, damp soil, the Poplars are by no means 

 fastidious, and may be found of large size in that of a 

 gravelly nature as well as on stiff clay. On Primrose 

 Hill, where a number of avenues were planted in 

 1886, the Black Poplar, although on deep, stiff clay, 

 has increased rapidly in size, the average height of 

 the trees when measured in 1918 being 73 feet, while 

 some of the stems contain 52 cubic feet of timber. 

 The Poplar avenues are now a distinct though not 

 artistic feature of the hill. 



In many instances that have come to our notice 

 Poplars have been planted and done well amongst 

 building refuse, where it was supposed that no other 

 tree would succeed. Certainly they are the most 

 accommodating of London trees. 



The timber of the Poplar, particularly that of 

 the Black and Grey, is much used in the making of 



