POPLAR. 131 



planted as a support to the climbing vine ; 

 and the vine-dresser may now be seen, as of 

 old, swinging on a rope, formed of twisted 

 willows, whilst he trims up the poplar, or 

 prunes its luxuriant spouse ; and his voice is 

 still heard abusing the lads and lasses, as they 

 return from market, with the same gVoss 

 wit and low jests that gave such zest to the 

 farces of Atella in ancient times. 



In Lombardy, all the vessels in which the 

 grapes are carried from the vineyards, are 

 formed of poplar planks, of about two inches 

 thick, and in them the grapes are squeezed. 

 These vessels are said to last from thirty to 

 forty years ; and their lightness is also a con- 

 siderable recommendation, as these troughs 

 are often of a size that will contain upwards 

 of fifteen hundred weight of grapes. 



We are assured that thirty acres of this 

 wood, when fit to cut, are worth in Italy 

 about four thousand pounds. The trunk of 

 the poplar, when about two feet in diameter, 

 and thirty feet in length, which size it attains 

 in about seventeen or eighteen years, is sold 

 in Lombardy to the dealers for twelve or fif- 

 teen shillings. It is cut at the water-saw mills 

 whilst green, into thin boards, for packers of 

 bales of woollens, boards to put in the middle 

 of silk pieces, or other manufactures^ and also 



k 2 



