New-York tribune., 1896-12-29

smallest and least widely distributed OF our
birch trees, and springs up profusey even on
dry and barren lands from which the forest
has been cleared. and II promptly takes pos
session Of abandoned farms. It's wood is useful.
but its greatest value consists in its ability TO
start quickly from seed and cover with rapidity
sterile soils and thus afford protection to the
seedlings Of slower growing and more useful
trees.
Much more picturesque IS the canoe or paper
birch which in the Northwest IS sometimes more
than hundred feet high while the high
mountains Of northern New England 1t is often
not much more than a shrub It ranges across the
/ continent from Labrador to the coast OF Alaska
and Is a picturesque tree in Northern forests
or pleasure grounds. with its cleaning white
trunk, It's open and graceful top and the dark
luxuriance OF its foliage. The red or river birch
is another beautiful tree Of more southern range
extending from Massachusetts and Wisconsin
the north to Florida and Texas on the south
Unlike the other blrchcs 1t attains its best size
In the haf-;ropica lcwlands Of our Southern
States. Professor Sargent says: The river birch
is a beautiful tree with its massive. dark trunk
It's graceful branches. roughened by the curling
flakes OF It's bright bark. with It's lustrous leaves
and delicate winter spray. and to its presence
upon their banks. dropping the ends Of It's slender
/
waters the charm Of many Southern rivers IS
often largely due" When cultivated the river
birch grows rapidly in good soil, and does not
need the vicinity Of water to insure its develop
ment into large and graceful tree. but. al
though il is admirably suited to decorate the
parks of temperate countries, it has rarely been
planted, except in few of the old pleasure
grounds OF Central and Northern Germany. Be
sides these there is beautiful Western species
discovered by Lewis and Clark in 1900. which
"enlivens sombre canyons and elevated valleys
with the same light. airy carriage, shining bark
and cheerful foliage that distinguish its Eastern
relatives.
Five Of the species Of alder which inhabt the
borders of our streams and sNamps attain the
form and dimensions OF trees, and three in
! tcresting wax myrtles Myrica) are next de-
scribed These are followed bv the difficult
genus Salix of which 100 1Io species are
now distinguished. twenty os them inhabitinS
| the United States. and attaining the stature oi
| trees They include great variety Of form ana
foliage. many of them being distinct and at
tractve in ornamental plantations by virtue Of
| the bright bark their younger shoots ana
foliage which ranges in color from a dark
| glossy green 20 a light bluish-gray. Among the
most beautiful is Salix sitchensis. of our North
]
lucida. another Northern tree found from New
| foundland through the valley Of the Mackenzie
/ River to the eastern base OF the '.ocky Noun
! tains In British America, and soutIward as far
as PENNSYLVANIA. The white willow is one OF
the best-known trees to Americans. ana YET IL
! is not native. 1t was proba oily introduced INTO
America soon after Its settlement because II Is
naturalized In all the valleys OF our Eastern and
Middle States. Some varieties have olive green
branchlets, in others they are yellow or reddish;
the leaves are giaucose in some, while IN others
they are silvery white and silky. This tree Will
thrive under the most adverse conditions, ana
II has been Invaluable TO the settlers IN IN"
praire States and the great mdcontlnental
plateau for shade. for fuel and in the arts An
other European willow also naturalzed is SaliX
fragilis. which is particularly abundant IN
Southern Pennsylvania and Delaware. where it
is cultivated as pollard to produce charcoal
for the grea. gunpowder works. Many of our
| native willows are most interesting and useful
| trees The shoots Of certain species are largely
| imported from Europe for the manufacture or
baskets but in the Middle States the cultlVa-
ton Of willow for discriminating has already
| become established. and promises TO be an IN
dustry of considerable Importance
OF the poplars, or cottonwoods, PROFESSOR Sar-
pen. recognizes eight arborescent species be-
longing to our forest fora The so-called Lom-
hardy poplar well known for It's spireilke
shape is now considered after much research
native of Afghanstan, and 1t may have peeA
introduced into Europe by the Arabs or some
European traveller In the Orient THIS fasigi-
ate poplar Is now cultivated in the valleys Of
the Northwestern Himalayas, especially IN
Cashmere where it often reaches height or
| 100 feet According to Loudon. it was not
anti, nf he
present century. which confirms the belief that
it was not indigenous TO Italy 1t was first
plsnted in France in 114j. and according to
Alton it was introduced into England about
11.iS by the Earl of Rockford. Ambassador at
Turin In 1854 William Hamilton planted
it In his famous garden AT Woodlands, near
Philadelphia, and in 1I9I John kendrlck
established a nursery in Newton. Mass. where
he devoted two full acres TO It's cultivation. be-
cause the Lombardy poplar was then the only
ornamental tree for which there was any active
demand in this country. Since that time 1t has
been planted all the continent from the
,alley Of the st. Lawrence to Mexico and the
fact that 1t endures Canadian winters Is an
other indication that it originated in a climate
more severe than that Of Northern Italy.
The Lombardy poplar has been more generally
planted along the highways Of Central and
Southern Europe than any other tree. No other
tree send up so rapidly tall, slender shaft.
and TO break low or monotonous sky line 1t Is
invaluable Used II has been in all sltua-
TONS however. without regard to its surround
ings and In long formal avenues. 1t has done
more. perhaps than any other tree to dishgure
the landscape In many parts Of France and Ger
many In the United States the Lombardy pop
lar Is now short-lived tree. Insects boring
into the trunk and branches often kill IT. and as
It is also affected by frngal diseases here and
In Europe it is much less generally planted than
Il was a century ago. Other European popars
have been planted ornamental trees in this
country. especially the Abcle silver poplar.