14 



WHITE ELM. 



White elm grows in the river valleys throughout the entire region. 

 It is one of the most abundant and important of the native timber 

 trees. It is also the largest and longest-lived of the hardwood species, 

 and reaches a diameter of 4 feet and an age of approximately 500 

 years. Under natural conditions its growth is moderately fast and 

 remarkably persistent. Often it has not passed its maximum diam- 

 eter growth at the age of 170 years. 



Upon the upland its growth is somewhat slower, but its hardiness 

 and its longevity seem assured. Its straight trunk and its gracefully 

 spreading and arching crown make it especially desirable as a tree 

 for roadside planting. It produces heavy, hard, strong, and tough 

 wood, which is valuable for special purposes. As a producer of fuel- 

 wood it can not, however, rank with some of the faster growing 

 trees. 



The light winged seed ripens early in spring, and is soon blown 

 away by the wind. Seedlings can often be collected along the 

 streams. They can be bought cheaply from nurseries. 



GREEN ASH. 



Green ash is a small tree with a strong taproot and an undivided, 

 straight, and slender stem. Its wood is well suited for wagon 

 tongues, whiffle trees, and other purposes where strength, toughness, 

 and straightness of grain are required, and it is also good for fence 

 posts. It is capable of producing seed at the age of 4 years. Gener- 

 ally large masses of brown seed hang upon the trees after the leaves 

 have dropped. The hardiness of green ash is unquestioned. So far 

 as its requirements for sustaining life are concerned it is one of the 

 least exacting trees. In fact it will live under almost any conditions. 

 Its growth on the upland is, however, too slow to make its planting 

 profitable, and its foliage is too light to make of it a good wind- 

 break. As the tree advances in age, borers generally attack it. Pure 

 plantations of ash are undesirable, and whenever it is planted it 

 should be mixed or underplanted with a heavy-foliaged tree. 



BOXELDEB. 



Boxelder is a small tree with a crooked, branched, or divided stem 

 and a large, full, round crown. By crowding, it is barely possible to 

 produce a fairly straight tree. It has been planted a great deal for 

 windbreaks; but its love for moisture, its low stature, and the small 

 quantity and poor quality of material produced, all unfit it for gen- 

 eral planting on the upland. Besides, there are objectionable sprouts 

 from the base, dead branches persist, and borers attack the young 



[Cir. 145] 



