Penjyhania, Philadelphia* 203 



and even in fome meafure with regard to 

 their colour, refemble tulips. The Swedes 

 called it Canoe tree, for both the Indians 

 and the Europeans often make their canoes 

 of the ftem of this tree. The Englijhmez, 

 in Penfyhania give it the name of Poplar, 

 It is reckoned a tree w^hich grows to the 

 greateft height and thicknefs of any in 

 North America, and which vies in that 

 point with our greateft European trees. The 

 white oak and the fir in North America, 

 however are little inferior to it. It cannot 

 therefore but be very agreeable to fee in 

 fpring, at the end of May (when it is in 

 bloflbm) one of the greateft trees covered 

 for a fortnight together with flowers, which 

 with regard to their fhape, fize, and partly 

 colour are like tulips, the leaves have like- 

 wife fomething peculiar, the Englijh there- 

 fore in fome places call the tree the old wo- 

 man sfmock, becaufe their imagination finds 

 fomething like it below the leaves. 



Its wood is here made ufe of for canoes, 

 boards, planks, bowls, difhes, fpoons, door 

 pofts, and all forts of joiners work. I have 

 feen a barn of a confiderable fize whofe 

 walls, and roof were made of a fingle tree 

 of this kind, fplit into boards. Some joiners 

 reckoned this wood better than oak, be- 

 caqfe this latter frequently is warped, which 



the 



