244 ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. [Jan. 12, 



lightning or a storm, and that the clearing of the land about it gave 

 opportunity for the lower branches to grow upward, and for the lowest 

 twigs upon the trunk to attain their magnificent horizontal growth. 



The location of the tree was favorable . to its grow^th. It stood 

 just above a spring in the bank of the stream which, rising somewhere 

 near Monroe avenue, Savannah and Manhattan streets, flowed north- 

 eastward, crossing Main street between Alexander street and Prince 

 street, and continued to the bay in what is now called Densmore 

 creek. The channel is not entirely filled up, but can be traced through 

 the lot in question and at other points. A basswood and two beeches 

 also stand on its banks in this lot, but these may be only second growth 

 seedlings. The basswood is about 60 feet high, the beeches less, but 

 one of these spreads nearly 60 feet horizontally, though it has lost all 

 of one side of the lower part of its trunk, and has a hole through the 

 remainder, round the edges of which hole the growing bark has 

 curled in a curious fashion. Mr. Heath, judging from the rate of 

 growth of elms which he has watched for forty years, estimates the age 

 of the big elm at over 150 years. 



Mr. L. C. Langie has bought the lot on which the big elm stands 

 and proposes to build a house the coming spring. The tree is where 

 the house must stand, and it seems hopeless to try to save it, though 

 it still gives signs of vigorous life, having, so Mr. Heath judges, added 

 three inches to its girth during the past year. It is to be hoped that 

 photographs-'^ may be taken of the tree before it is cut down, that its 

 appearance, at least, may be preserved. 



I have spoken of this as about the largest elm in Rochester. 

 There is one in Genesee Valley Park that is a little greater in girth 

 and probably taller, having had no accident befall it, so far as appears; 

 but I know of no other tree equalling the East Main street tree in 

 spread of branches. 



There is another point of interest concerning this tree, historical, 

 however, instead of botanical. Just beside it passed the old Indian 

 trail from the head of the bay, where the float bridge now is, to the 

 ford across the river just above the present site of Court street bridge. 

 This trail remained the regular route for the white man's travel from 

 the bay to the city until the farms around were cut up into streets and 

 building lots — a time within the memory of many men not yet aged. 



*A photograph of this primeval forest tree was presented lo the Botanical Section by Mr. H. 

 C. Heath, May 26, i8<)6. 



