POPLAR, 249 



affecting the most dissimilar soils and situations. But 

 wherever found, it must be confessed that he somewhat 

 impoverishes the land ; his leaves, also, when fallen, destroy 

 the grass, and his widely ramified roots spread so near 

 the surface of the earth, that neither shrubs nor herbage 

 can find support. The wood is light and smooth, soft, 

 and durable, and the bark yields excellent torches. In 

 countries where trembling aspens grow contiguous to beaver 

 villages, they prefer the bark to any other kind of food. 



Who that delights to visit the growing-places of differ- 

 ent kinds of forest-trees, and to observe their distinctive 

 peculiarities, has failed to remark the incessant agitation 

 of aspen leaves ? 



" When rustling turn the many twinkling leaves 

 Of aspens tall." 



This peculiarity is said to result from the plane of the 

 leaf-stalk being at the right angle to that of the leaves, 

 which consequently allows of a much freer motion than 



