296 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



west; 6 inches from the ground, 24 feet 6, in circumference ; at 3£ feet, small- 

 est place, 22 feet 10 ; at 4£ feet, 23 feet 10. It begins to branch at 5£ feet 

 from the ground, and divides into distinct trunks at 7i feet. Its roots spread 

 very little at the surface. The trunk seems sound outside, but the branches 

 at, and just above, the main trunk exhibit considerable decay, and one branch, 

 about a foot in diameter, has fallen this season. Spread of branches 110 feet. 

 An elm, with top in fine preservation, and apparently healthy, but with a deep 

 hollow in one side of the trunk, — at the ground, 20 feet 9 ; at 4^ feet, 16 feet 

 10, smallest place ; branches off at 8 feet from the ground. On the intervale, 

 northeast from the ferry a mile or so, are two decayed trees, 18 and 20 feet at the 

 smallest places. One in the same situation, in fine condition ; — at 1 foot from 

 the ground, 21 feet 4 ; at 2 feet, 17 feet 7, smallest place; at 4£ feet, 19 feet 

 11 ; branches at 5 feet from ground, and spreads over an area thirty paces in 

 diameter. Another, in the same situation, in fine condition ; — at 1 foot from 

 the ground, 18 feet 7 ; at 4 feet, 16 feet 8, smallest place ; branches at 7 feet. 

 A tree, called " Mather Elm," before an old house, formerly occupied by a 

 family of that name, on the north side of Pleasant street : — at 1 foot from the 

 ground, 22 feet 8, roots spread much ; at 4^ feet, 15 feet 7, in smallest place ; 

 branches at 12 feet, and is in fine condition, with the exception of one large 

 branch gone. Elm, in King street, planted by President Edwards, now before 

 the house of J. D. Whitney; — at the ground, 22 feet 5 ; at 4 feet above, 

 18 feet 10, smallest place ; branches at 7 feet and is in fine condition. One in 

 the Main street, before the house of a Mr. Pomeroy, and opposite the mansion 

 of the late Gov. Strong ; — at 4 feet from the ground, 15 feet 1, smallest part. 

 Great Elm, at Hatfield, near the church, in the enclosure at the side of the 

 town house ; — at the ground, 41 feet, roots spread much ; at 3£ feet, 27 feet ; 

 at 6 feet above, 22 feet 9, smallest place. Branches spread over an area 

 108 feet in diameter. The trunk appears sound, but the branches are much 

 decayed, and probably half of them have fallen. Two elms, at Hatfield, on 

 the main road in the village, both in very sound and fine condition ; — the first, 

 at the ground, 25 feet; at 2 feet above, 17 feet 2 ; at 3 feet above, 15 feet 5, 

 smallest part. The second, at the ground, 20 feet 7 ; at 2 feet above, 15 feet 

 5 ; at 3^ feet above, 13 feet 7, smallest part. 



An elm tree, nearly opposite the house of Heman Day, Esq., in West 

 Springfield, was planted by him on the 8th of January, 1775. At the time of 

 transplanting, it was a sapling carried in the hand. The trunk, in 1829, was 

 18 feet in circumference to the height of 12 feet above the surface, where it 

 divides into branches which overhang a circle of more than 300 feet in circum- 

 ference, covering 7,500 square feet of surface. — N. E. Farmer, VII, 299. 



It had thus grown 21G inches in circumference in 54 years, or at the rate of 

 4 inches a year. All the circles of growth must average two thirds of an inch. 

 In 1845, this tree was carefully measured by a gentleman of Springfield, who 

 gives me the following dimensions: — at 3 feet, its diameter is 7 feet; at 5, 



