THE ELM. 225 



Two other British Elms are described by botanists, .but, 

 as they are of local occurrence, a notice of them will not 

 interest the general reader. The above characters, it is 

 hoped, will be sufficient to enable the student to determine 

 the species of any Elm which he is likely to meet with. 



The Elm was well known both to the ancient Greeks 

 and Romans : the former were acquainted with two species, 

 which grew severally in the mountains and the plains. 

 Pliny enumerates four species which were known to the 

 Romans : the Atinian (the same as our Common Small- 

 leaved Elm), the Gallic, the Italian, which had tufted 

 foliage, and the Wild Elm. These appear to have been 

 equally valued for their leaves, which were given as fodder 

 to cattle. The Gallic and Italian kinds were preferred to 

 every other tree as a support to vines, for which purpose 

 they were planted in regular rows at set distances, such 

 plantations being called " arbusta." The rearing of the 

 trees was considered of such importance, that Pliny gives 

 specific directions for the formation of an Ulmarium, or 

 plantation of Elms, directing that the seeds should be 

 gathered in March, sown in beds, and the young trees 

 planted out in nursing beds before they took their station 

 in the vineyard. He directs also that, when transplanted, 

 it should always be to a similar or better soil, and even 

 recommends that the bark should be marked while they 

 stood in the nursery, in order that, when transplanted where 

 they were to remain, their northern sides might retain the 

 same aspect. If reared from suckers, he directs that they 

 should be planted out in autumn. The Atinian Elm was 

 never used as a vine-prop, on account of its too luxuriant 

 foliage, which kept off the sun from the ripening grapes. 

 An important part of the vine-dresser's occupation was to 

 prune the Elms, which, when the Vine was trained to 

 them, were said to be "married." The minuteness of 

 these directions, which are also alluded to by the Roman 

 poet Virgil, proves the estimation in which the tree was 

 held; and the name of the fourth species, " wild," would 

 Q 



