Lombardy and Canadian Poplars. 217 



I may here add, that the ^"bies alba is more generally 

 planted in Connaught, than in any other part of Ireland which 

 I have visited. Yours, &c. 



James Fraser. 

 Dartfield, near Louglirea^ Aprils. 1828. 



Art. X. Observations on the Lombardy and Canadian Pop- 

 lars. By Mr. James Fraser, Dartfield. 



Sir, 



In your Magazine for March last (Vol. III. p. 409.), I ob- 

 served an article on planting forest trees, by C. F. W. of 

 Fazeley ; the observations, however, principally refer to two 

 species of poplar. I do not, at this time, refer to the above 

 article with the view of making any remarks on the profit and 

 loss therein adduced, although I think the per contra some- 

 what exaggerated, but simply to correct a mistake into which, 

 I humbly conceive, C. F. W. has fallen. 



He says " the Lombardy poplar is the more valuable for 

 timber, the black Italian the quicker growth." Now, if 

 by the former he means the Populus dilatata, and by the latter 

 P. monilifera (literally, one-bearing, the shoots being twigless), 

 I beg leave to say that I am quite of a different opinion ; the 

 latter is incomparably the better tree in every sense of the 

 word, and I refer C. F. W. to any and every one who has 

 planted these trees, either with a view to ornament or profit, 

 under equal circumstances. 



Persoon says that the Populus fastigiata, or dilatata of others, 

 is the poplar of Italy ; and the nurserymen more often call the 

 P. monilifera (P. acladesca of Lind., I suppose) the black 

 Italian, than the Canadian, although Canada is its habitat. 

 Lindley's edition of Donn's Catalogue is as yet in the hands 

 of few In this part of the empire, and it would save much 

 trouble to your country readers in general, and occasion but 

 little, comparatively speaking, to you, to add the synonyms to 

 the recently altered names. Accuracy in matters of this kind 

 is a matter of no small moment, and it would be well if nur- 

 serymen and planters would adopt a standard in their trivial 

 English names. With annuals and other evanescent vegetable 

 beings, the virtuoso may go on, ad infinitum, " ever changing^ 

 ever new," to the inconvenience of those chiefly who are so 

 fickle as to follow such chamber knick-knacks : but with the 

 man of general business the case is otherwise, he has neither 

 the time nor inclination to follow up such trifling ; and, in the 

 whole range of rural affairs, I cannot conceive any thing more 



