NURSERY AND PLANTINO. 



127 



that sort of phinting, which perhaps may be considered tlie most 

 profitable of all, namely, that which adds to the comfort and 

 consequence, and, of course, the value of a place, before but 

 scantily furnished with that important appendage— wood, this 

 tree is excellent ; as, in judicious hands, it may be made to pro- 

 duce very considerable etiects, while many others (highly 

 esteemed) w^ould produce them in prospect oidy. In short, for 

 distant scenery, when wood, not species, is the immediate oh- 

 jccti this plant, hitherto in many places a stranger, is clearly 

 superior to all the family of the forest." 



The poplar family flower in March and April, and perfect 

 their seeds in about three or four weeks afterwards ; but as 

 poplars are seldom originated by seeds, but by cuttings, we 

 need only say that v/hen it is intended to propagate by seeds, 

 they should be sown as soon as gathered, in moderately ricii 

 soil, somewhat moist and finely pulverized, and great care taken 

 in covering the seeds, as they are very small and liable to be 

 buried too deep. The mode of originating by cuttings is much 

 the speediest method, and is therefore the most practised. The 

 facility by which even large branches of most of this family 

 emit roots is such, that cuttings of several feet in length and 

 some inches in diameter, are not unfrequently made use of ; but 

 to obtain the best trees, to be afterwards planted, cuttings of 

 much smaller dimensions should be chosen. There are a few 

 species which are found to propagate better by layers than by 

 cuttings, among which are the black Athenian (P. Grccca), and 

 some others. The best cuttings of poplars are taken from the 

 wood of the preceding year, and when made, each cutting 

 should be nine inches in length, and planted in nursery lines 

 eighteen inches apart, and the cuttings about six inches distant 

 from each other. When inserted in the ground, they should 

 be put in deep enough to resist the drought, and if only two 

 inches of the top appear above ground, it will be found suflicient. 

 In two years, or three at most, these cuttings will be fully 

 grown to fit them for being finally })lanted out; but if they are 

 to remain the third year in the nursery, they ought to be taker 

 up and replanted at a greater distance. The white poplar 

 often sends up naturally vast numbers of suckers from its roots, 

 and such are sonietimes used for young plants ; cuttings are, 



