GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE TREES 



continual invitation to the tree -butcher and the 

 electric lineman, indicate the undesirability of 

 giving it more than a temporary position, to 

 shade while better trees are growing. 



But I must not get into the economics of 

 street- tree planting. I started to tell of the 

 blossoms of this same Carolina poplar, which 

 are decidedly interesting. Just when the sun 

 has thoroughly warmed up the air of spring 

 there is a sudden, rapid thickening of buds over 

 one's head on this poplar. One year the tree 

 under my observation swelled and swelled its 

 buds, which were shining more and more in 

 the sun, until I was sure the next day would 

 bring a burst of leaves. But the weather was 

 dry, and it was not until that wonderful solvent 

 and accelerator of growing things, a warm 

 spring rain, fell softly upon the tree, that the 

 pent-up life force was given vent. Then came, 

 not leaves, but these long catkins, springing 

 out with great rapidity, until in a few hours 

 the tree glowed with their redness. A second 

 edition of the shower, falling sharply, brought 

 many of the catkins to the ground, where 

 they lay about like large caterpillars. 



124 



