Handbook of Teees of the Northern States and Canada. 103 



The Balm of Gilead when in its prime is. a 

 beautiful large Poplar, attaining the height of 

 70 or 80 ft. or more with broad and irregular 

 spreading top, and trunk attaining a thickness 

 of 3-6 ft., vested in a rather thick firmly ridged 

 gray bark at base, while the upper trunk and 

 branches are covered with a smooth yellowish 

 brown bark. In a wild state it is a rare tree 

 and apparently quite local in distribution, but 

 from early times it has been a favorite tree 

 for shade, and being very hardy was planted 

 abundantly in the dooryards of country 

 liomes throughout the northern states and 

 Canada. It is a beautiful object at first with 

 its large parti-colored heart-shaped leaves con- 

 stantly fluttering from the slightest breezes. 

 Unfortunately it is a short-lived tree and early 

 becomes decrepit. Then its dropping limbs 

 make it unsightly and undesirable, but suckers 

 generally spring up in abundance about it and 

 eventually take its place, if allowed to do so, 

 and in this way trees once planted continue to 

 occupy the soil for a long time. The fra- 

 grance of the sticky buds and new leaves of this 

 tree is so marked as to be detected sometimes 

 at some distance from the tree, and attracts 

 the bees to it in abundance after the sticky 

 varnish on its buds. This they gather, pack 

 onto their thighs and carry away to seal the 

 crevices of their hives — the material called 

 propolis by the bee-keepers. I have observed 

 that goose-berry and currant bushes planted 

 beneath the branches of this tree are not 

 molested by the destructive currant-worm, the 

 emanations of the tree seeming to be distaste- 

 ful or disastrous to them. According to Prof. 

 L. H. Bailey, the Balm of Gilead was an im- 

 portant lumber tree in the forests of Michigan 

 in earl}' days. 



The wood is soft, light, a cubic foot weighing 

 25.93 lbs. when absolutely dry, easily worked 

 and suitable for the manufacture of bo.xes, 

 pails, excelsior, etc. 



Leaves broad heart-shaped, .3-6 in. long, aciiminafe, 

 rather coarsely crenate-servate and ciliate-mar- 

 gined, pubescent when young- but finally glabrous 

 dark sreen above, whitish, strongly reticulated and 

 sometimes rusty beneath ; petioles nearly terete 

 and veins beneath commonly pubescent : buds large 

 and covered with a sticky aromatic resin. Floivers 

 in pubescent aments, the scales falling early ; 

 stamens lo-30; lobes of stigma broad and largp. 

 Fruit capsules ci'owded on the stems, ovoid, -- 

 valved and with short pedicels. 



1. Syu. 

 Gray. 



Populus tal'.amitera var. candicans 



