1 822 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



Theatre Park, close to a pond, and is about no ft. by i8 ft. 9 in., with a bole about 

 30 ft. long. The habit was more spreading than usual in England, and the young 

 leaves seemed less bronzy in tint. The second is a double-stemmed tree from a 

 common base, in front of the Grand-ducal residence ; it is about 1 10 ft. high, the two 

 stems measuring 14 and 15 ft. respectively. The third, said to be the actual type 

 described by Hartig, stands in the Railway Park, and has the trunk much covered 

 with ivy. It was severely lopped about ten years ago, and now measures about 

 105 ft. by 16 ft. 4 in., but has been taller. All these trees are males and appear to be 

 of the same age, probably about a hundred years. 



In Denmark the black Italian poplar is rather commonly planted by the road as 

 a shade tree ; and I measured a fine old tree at Gisselfeld, the seat of Count Dan- 

 neskjold-Samso, 120 ft. by 14 ft. 9 in., in 1910. How far east and south this poplar 

 has extended we are unable to say, as Hartig's description has been apparently 

 overlooked by foresters, and many of the trees in Germany ^ named P. canadensis 

 are P. serotina. 



Timber 



The timber of the various species of poplar is, or has been in the past, so little 

 valued by merchants that " Acorn," in his work on English timber, speaks of it as 

 hardly worth hauling for any great distance from the place where it grows. For 

 many years it was supposed to be the best material for making railway brake-blocks, 

 which are now commonly made of iron, and was also used for beds of wagons and 

 wheel-barrows, for second-class spade handles, and to some extent for other purposes,* 

 but its use for packing-case making has been entirely ignored in England. 



In France, however, this poplar is one of the most common and abundant 

 timbers, and is almost the only material used in making wine-cases and packing- 

 boxes of all descriptions ; and there is no reason why it should not be so used in 

 England, except the very low price of foreign deal. From fivepence to eightpence 

 per foot is the price which I have been able to realise for standing trees of black 

 Italian poplar containing 100 ft. and upwards, growing seven to nine miles from a 

 station ; but I have no doubt that, for well-grown trees whose lower branches have 

 been pruned when young, and which can be converted with little waste, eightpence 

 to a shilling per foot could be obtained when near the place of conversion. 



" Acorn " states that in buying poplar standing, the merchant is almost sure to 

 gain a considerable advantage if the trees are measured or estimated in one length, 

 as they carry their girth higher and taper less than most trees. I have had good 

 evidence of this myself; as a tree, which was estimated standing to contain no 

 to 125 ft., and sold on the higher estimate, actually contained 130 ft. as measured 

 in one length after felling, and 165 ft. when measured in three lengths, as it would 

 have been cross-cut for sawing. 



1 In Mitt. Deut. Dend. Ges. 1904, p. 19, a tree at Schloss Dyck, near Dusseldorf, named P. monilifera, which is 

 probably P. serotina, is said to be 57 metres high by 5.25 metres in girth ; but the height measurement is probably much 

 exaggerated. 



2 A large quantity of black Italian poplar is used as blocks for polishing plate glass in the course of its manufacture at 

 St. Helens and other places. Cf. also Quart. Joum. Forestry, vi. 264 (19 1 2). 



