THE BROAD-LEAVED TREES 153 



groups mixed with other broad-leaved trees. It should not 

 be grown in pure woods. It must be given plenty of space 

 for its crown from middle age upwards. It is a rapid grower, 

 and attains a good height. It ordinarily reaches maturity at 

 about eighty years. 



Elm suffers to a certain extent from insects and fungi. The 

 bark-beetle (Scolytus Geoffroyi) does much damage to weakly 

 trees. The branches of large elms are very apt to fall off and 

 are often dangerous in avenues and parks. 



Wych-elm (Ulmus montanci}. 



A native.of Great Britain and Europe, and is found up to an 

 elevation of 1,300 feet in Yorkshire. It does better in Scotland 

 than the common elm, and is more a tree for hilly land than the 

 latter. It does well in ravines and near the sides of streams. 

 It is hardier than the common elm and is more accommodat- 

 ing as to soil and situation. It does fairly well on stiff loams, 

 but does not thrive on sand. It produces large quantities of 

 seed and also good stool shoots. It should be grown, like 

 common elm, in groups here and there in woods of other 

 broad-leaved trees. In other respects its characteristics are 

 much the same as those of the common elm. 



Hazel (Corylus avelland). 



A native of Great Britain, Europe, and Asia Minor. It is 

 found up to an elevation of 1,900 feet in Scotland. It is frost- 

 hardy and will succeed on any aspect. It is a moderate shade- 

 bearer. It prefers a fresh, porous soil of moderate depth, but 

 will grow on almost any soil provided it is not marshy. It 

 seeds well, and also coppices easily. It can be layered or 

 ' plashed ', and this method of reproducing it is useful for filling 

 up blanks in existing coppices. It is chiefly grown as coppice 

 under oak standards, and is cut on rotations of from seven to 

 twenty-five years. Its value has greatly declined recently, and 

 new coppices of hazel are hardly required, except possibly in 

 woods kept mainly for sport. 



