a_) (Custard Apple). Small-sized tree, often
only a shrub, Heartwood pale, yellowish green, sapwood lighter color.
Wood light, soft, coarse-grained, and spongy. Not used to any extent
in manufacture. Occurs in eastern and central Pennsylvania, west as
far as Michigan and Kansas, and south to Florida and Texas. Often
forming dense thickets in the lowlands bordering the Mississippi
River.

PERSIMMON

=91. Persimmon= (_Diospyros Virginiana_). Small to medium-sized tree.
Wood very heavy, and hard, strong and tough; resembles hickory, but is
of finer texture and elastic, but liable to split in working. The
broad sapwood cream color, the heartwood brown, sometimes almost
black. The persimmon is the Virginia date plum, a tree of 30 to 50
feet high, and 18 to 20 inches in diameter; it is noted chiefly for
its fruit, but it produces a wood of considerable value. Used in
turnery, for wood engraving, shuttles, bobbins, plane stock, shoe lasts,
and largely as a substitute for box (_Buxus sempervirens_)--especially
the black or Mexican variety,--also used for pocket rules and drawing
scales, for flutes and other wind instruments. Common, and best
developed in the lower Ohio Valley, but occurs from New York to Texas
and Missouri.

POPLAR (See also Tulip Wood)

Wood light, very soft, not strong, of fine texture, and whitish,
grayish to yellowish color, usually with a satiny luster. The wood
shrinks moderately (some cross-grained forms warp excessively), but
checks very little in seasoning; is easily worked, but is not durable.
Used in cooperage, for building and furniture lumber, for crates and
boxes (especially cracker boxes), for woodenware, and paper pulp.

=92. Cottonwood= (_Populus monilifera_, var. _angulata_) (Carolina
Poplar). Large-sized tree, forms considerable forests along many of
the Western streams, and furnishes most of the cottonwood of the
market. Heartwood dark brown, sapwood nearly white. Wood light, soft,
not strong, and close-grained (see Fig. 14). Mississippi Valley and
West. New England to the Rocky Mountains.

=93. Cottonwood= (_Populus fremontii_ var. _wislizeni_). Medium-to
large-sized tree. Common. Wood in its quality and uses similiar to the
preceding, but not so valuable. Texas to California.

[Illustration: Fig. 14. A Large Cottonwood. One of the
Associates of Red Gum.]

=94. Black Cottonwood= (_Populus trichocarpa_ var. _heterophyl