Hi Richard,
You elude to poplar not being a very good firewood and this made me recall that the English company Bryant and May used poplar wood to make matches for fire and cigarette lighting. One of the reasons for choosing this wood apparently was that it did not flare up and burn quickly instead it burned in a more slow and controlled fashion hence maybe poplar might be a good choice of wood where rapid onset of a fire is to be avoided e.g. in a flour or gunpowder (charcoal) mill.
Regards
Ken Hume
