67 



not so hi.ejh as its congener, but quite as wide in 

 the girtli. Of the several varieties, perhaps one 

 of the best is the Huntini^don ehn, U . in. glabra — 

 a smooth-leaved, fast growing tree. 



There are many beautiful avenues of elms in 

 England, and it is said that about forty places 

 mentioned in Domesday Book take their names 

 from the elm, e.g. Barn Elms, Nine Elms, ere. 



Ancient writers often mention the elm tree, 



which, in common with other trees that did not 



produce fruit fit for human food, was considered 



most appropriate for funereal purposes. Homer 



alludes to this in the "Iliad," when he tells us 



that Achilles raised a monument to the father of 



Andromache in the midst of a grove of elms — 



" Jove's sylvan daughters bade these ehns bestow, 

 A barren shade and in his honour grow." 



Scores of elms have been killed of late 

 years, around Ham, by the elm beetle, Scolytus 

 dcstniclor. It appears to have a preference for 

 decaying trees, but its attacks are by no means 

 confined to them. It is a small brown beetle, very- 

 like but larger than S. pnini, which injures apple 

 trees. Unfortunately forest insedts are difficult 

 and costly to cope with. 



