POP 
PRU 
cimens upon large lawns or park lands 
or for planting avenues. The cliena, or 
eastern plane, P. orientalis , is much es¬ 
teemed in Persia, where groves of it are 
planted near the habitations; it was the 
first of the genus introduced to England; 
some of the original trees now standing in 
perfect health at Lee, in Kent, are, ac¬ 
cording to the records, exactly three 
hundred years old. The American plane, 
P. occidentalism is one of the largest trees 
of that country; it is equally noble with 
the preceding species, as also is the 
maple-leaved P. acerifolia. P. cuneata 
is a dwarf tree, seldom attaining above 
ten feet in height, very effective in shrub¬ 
beries, where its handsome wavy foliage 
is very pleasing. The wood is white, 
smooth-grained, and soft, when first cut, 
but hardens as it dries; it is esteemed by 
the turner and cabinet-maker. The trees 
delight in a deep rich loam, where they 
grow rapidly for the first twenty years, 
after which their progress is less remark¬ 
able. They are readily increased by 
layers ; or cuttings, taken in autumn and 
planted in a sheltered border, will root 
sparingly. 
POPULUS, Poplar (Linn.) Nat. 
Order, Salicaceee. What the cypress is 
among evergreens the poplar is to deci¬ 
duous trees; the conical form of the 
greater part of the genus may, by judi¬ 
cious employment, be made highly pleas¬ 
ing in varying the outline of other round- 
headed trees, and, although not a long- 
lived tree, it is useful for immediate 
effect, as its growth is most rapid. The 
black Italian, the Lombardy, and the com¬ 
mon black poplars are among the best of the 
conical-growing kinds. The abele, gray 
poplar, and aspen are more branching, 
forming rounder heads; they are all de¬ 
sirable to form blinds or fill spaces in 
plantations, which they will more quickly 
than any other tree we possess, and are 
very effective among masses of dark 
foliage, on account of the white down 
which covers the under side of their 
leaves, and is seen in a rapidly-changing 
light when agitated by the wind. P. bal- 
samifera belongs to the erect growing 
section, though not so large as some 
others; the buds of this tree throughout 
the winter are coated with a glutinous 
yellow substance, which often collects 
in drops, and, in Canada, is made an 
article of commerce. Grouse feeding upon 
this balsam acquire a taste much esteemed 
by epicures. The timber of the whole 
genus is white, soft, light, and stringy, 
not subject to swell or shrink, and does 
not split so readily as most heavier 
woods. These qualities suit it for the 
purposes of the trunk-maker; clogs, 
butchers’ trays, and other similar things, 
requiring a light tough wood, are also 
made of it; it is, besides, recommended 
for floor-boards, but for this purpose we 
should think it too soft, and therefore not 
likely to wear well; it has an advantage, 
however, in being much slower to take 
fire than resinous wmods. Poplars de¬ 
light in moist alluvial soils, and by the 
sides of streams grow amazingly fast; 
most of them may be propagated by cut¬ 
tings taken in autumn, and bedded 
thickly into a sheltered border, and those 
which will not strike in this way may be 
layed. 
PKLNOS, Winter-berry (Linn.) Nat. 
Ov&.Aquifoliacece. Dwarf-growing shrubs, 
the greater part deciduous, with serrated 
foliage resembling that of the evergreen 
oak, rising four or five feet high; one 
species (P. glaber ) is evergreen, and does 
not grow beyond two feet high; they 
are only desirable on account of their 
berries, which are pleasing in winter, and 
in this respect the scarlet-berried P. lan- 
ceolatus is the best. They grow in any 
light soil, but thrive best in peat; may 
be increased by layers or seed. 
PRUNUS (Linn.) Nat. Order, Po- 
saceee. In the genus we have, besides 
the kinds usually grown as orchard trees, 
several belonging to the ornamental divi¬ 
sion, among which are some indispensa¬ 
ble to every garden, as instanced in the 
common and Portugal laurels, the bird 
and "Virginian cherries, and others. Some 
confusion has been caused by the sepa¬ 
ration of this and other allied genera, 
which seem to require further arrange¬ 
ment. Without entering upon that ques¬ 
tion, however, we prefer to follow the 
original constitution of the genus, and, 
consequently, include some species that 
