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ASPEN

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 766 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ASPEN , an important See also:

section of the See also:poplar genus (Populus) of which the See also:common aspen of See also:Europe, P. tremula, may be taken as the type,—a tall fast-growing See also:tree with rather slender See also:trunk, and See also:grey bark becoming rugged when old. The roundish leaves, toothed on the margin, are slightly downy when See also:young, but after-wards smooth, dark See also:green on the upper and greyish green on the See also:lower See also:surface; the See also:long slender petioles, much flattened. towards the See also:outer end, allow of See also:free lateral See also:motion by the lightest See also:breeze, giving the foliage its well-known tremulous See also:character. By their See also:friction on each other the leaves give rise to a rustling See also:sound. It is supposed that the mulberry trees (Becaim) mentioned in i See also:Chronicles xiv. 14, 15 were really aspen trees. The See also:flowers, which appear in See also:March and See also:April, are See also:borne on pendulous hairy catkins, 2-3 in. long; male and See also:female catkins are, as in the other See also:species of the genus, on distinct trees. The aspen is found in moist places, sometimes at a considerable See also:elevation, 1600 ft. or more, in See also:Scotland. It is an abundant tree in the See also:northern parts of See also:Britain, even as far as See also:Sutherland, and is occasionally found in the coppices of the See also:southern counties, but in these latter habitats seldom reaches any large See also:size; through-out northern Europe it abounds in the forests,—in See also:Lapland flourishing even in 700 N. See also:lat., while in See also:Siberia its range extends to the See also:Arctic Circle; in See also:Norway its upper limit is said to coincide with that of the See also:pine; trees exist near the western See also:coast having stems 15 ft. in circumference. The See also:wood of the aspen is very See also:light and soft, though tough; it is employed by coopers, chiefly for pails and See also:herring-casks; it is also made into butchers' trays, See also:pack-saddles, and various articles for which its lightness recommends it; sabots are also made of it in See also:France, and in See also:medieval days it was valued for arrows,, especially for those used in See also:target practice; the bark is used for tanning in northern countries; See also:cattle and See also:deer browse greedily on the young shoots and abundant suckers. Aspen wood makes but indifferent See also:fuel, but See also:charcoal prepared from it is light and friable, and has been employed in See also:gunpowder manufacture. The powdered bark is sometimes given to horses as a vermifuge; it possesses likewise tonic and febrifugal properties, containing a, considerable amount of See also:salicin. The aspen is readily propagated either by cuttings or suckers, but has been lout little planted of See also:late years in Britain.

P. trepida, or tremuloides, is closely allied to the See also:

European aspen, being chiefly distinguished by its more pointed leaves; it is a native of most parts of See also:Canada, and the See also:United States, extending northwards as far as. See also:Great Slave See also:Lake. The wood is soft and neither strong nor durable;,it See also:burns better in the green statethan that of most trees, and is often used by the hunters of the See also:North-See also:West as fuel; split into thin layers, it was formerly employed in the United States for See also:bonnet and See also:hat making. It is largely manufactured into-See also:mood-pulp for See also:paper-making. The bark is of some value as a tonic and febrifuge. P.grandidentata, the large-leaved See also:American aspen, has ovate or roundish leaves deeply and irregularly serrated on the margin. The wood is light, soft and See also:close-grained, but not strong. In northern New See also:England and Canada it is largely manufactured into wood-pulp; it is occasionally used in turnery and for wooden-See also:ware.

End of Article: ASPEN

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