THE SILVER POPULAR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 13859, 19 December 1912, Page 7

THE SILVER POPULAR.

DOES IT CAUSE SICKNESS SIDNEY, December 4. It is proposed to out down all the silver poplars at Wagga, in "tlio Piverina,,where this of tree is m ilch used for shade purposes. -■ : -r: ■ At the last meeting of the Wagga Council, one. of the councillors declared that the silver poplars Were responsible for a lot of the sickness that Lad occurred in the town, i ven hay "fever and sonsumptia.'i. In the spring time, he said, the downy substance ori r ths underside of the leaves looschdcd and floated in the atmosphere.. When inhaled ut caused irritation of thoAhroat liind dlihgs; and to children it was specially dangerous, and often the insiduous origin of dihfe.ise. He had talked about the matter to the doctors, who agreed that it caused much sickness. Several other councillors expressed similar views and eventually it was decided to obtain a report on the subject by experts. According to Mr Maiden, director, of the Sydney Botanic .Gardens, a gross injustice has been done to the tree. He says:—“ln the late, spring, or early summer people may notice a quanity of cotton wool-like substance blowing about where silver poplars are planted. It is this fluffy stuff, which consists of the hairs attached to the- seeds, and which is a provision of nature to distribute the seeds to distant and suitable soil, that is objected to. A couple of years ago some person in England drew attention to the undersiability of the seed hairs blowing about, and painted a melancholy picture as to the results to public health. I do not know whether the experience of the Wagga people is based upon the exporienoeof its local medical men, but if so I would like to see a copy of the reports, in order that they may be carefully examined. Personally, I look upon the silver poplar as a valuable tree. It is very ornamental, gives excellent shade, and it has the very great merit of absorbing a large amount of water from damp situations, which is distributed into the atmosphere. I do not think a forest of 10,000 silver poplars mould do so much injury to the lungs of Sydney people as one southerly buster, which blows into the air the finely divided filth of a city.”