SHRUBS AND TREES. 



129 



may be brought together and twisted round and round each other 

 vertically, and tied together so that they cannot untwist ; or they 

 may be grafted together as shown on the sketch at /. The twist 

 will, however, be the strongest and simplest mode. The branches 

 that proceed from the twisted ones below the union, must be kept 

 cut back to within two or three feet, so as to encourage the strong- 

 est growth in the part abo\^e the twist. The next spring, if these 

 united branches have done well, the outer branches of both trees 

 may be cut off at a, a, and grafted with scions of the Scamston 

 elm. If the grafts take, and the growth and trimming of all 

 parts are properly attended to, the lower growth forming the gate- 

 way arch should be all Scamston elm, crowned over the centre 

 with the loftier common elm, presenting an appearance in the 

 course of ten years something like the accompanying engraving. 



The Scamston elm grows with great vigor in a horizontal and 

 downward direction only, and its long annual shoots, and dark 

 glossy leaves overlap each other so closely that an arch cut in one 

 side has the appearance of being cut through a mound of solid 

 verdure. Their tops are flatly rounded, like unfinished hay-stacks, 

 9 



