254 A MANUAL OF FORESTRY. 



conditions up to 125 feet. It attains a considerable 

 diameter.* It is a long-lived tree, reaching an age of 

 500 or even more years. 



e. Reproductive Poicer. 



The Elm commences producing seed plentifully at an 

 age of about 40 years. The crops are heavy and occur 

 about every 2 or 3 years ; in Britain the seed of the 

 Common Elm very rarely ripens. On the whole the re- 

 productive power by seed is great. Both Elms have a 

 great reproductive power from the stool, there being 

 stool-shoots and suckers ; also reproduce well by stem 

 shoots. Trees upwards of 40 years old when cut over 

 still reproduce well from the stool. 



/. Character and Composition oj Woods. 



Elm is not well suited for pure woods. It does much 

 better mixed with Beech and Hornbeam; also grown 

 with Oak, Ash, Alder, and others. It holds its own 

 against these species, except Beech, which may out- 

 grow it during the second half of life. If pure, Elm 

 should be underplanted like Oak. 



g. Sylvicultural Systems. 



High forest, standards in coppice, coppice, and pol- 

 lards. 



h. Formation of Woods. 



The Elm is generally planted ; the plants are either 

 raised from seed, or they consist of suckers or layers. 



* The author has seen, at Schimsheim, in Rhenish Hessen, a Common Elm 

 tree of fourteen feet diameter measured at three feet from the ground. 



