

VALUE OF THE WYCH ELM. 47 



counties, seems more extensively spread over England 

 than the other species, and adventures farther to the 

 north. Ray tells us, on the authority of Aubrey, that 

 the common elm, so called, is scarcely found indigenous 

 northward of Lincolnshire, whereas this species is found 

 even in Scotland. Our soil is very favorable to the 

 growth of both species. The wych elm affords a tough 

 and valuable wood for the wheeler and the mill-wright ; 

 the bark from the young limbs is stripped off in long 

 ribands, and often used, especially in Wales, for securing 

 thatch, and for various bindings and tyings, to which 

 purpose its flexible and tough nature renders it well 

 adapted. Gerard says, that arrows were made from the 

 wood of this tree, and he lived at a period when he 

 could well ascertain the fact, during the reign of Eliza- 

 beth and her predecessor, before fire-arms had super- 

 seded this truly British weapon : he was in the younger 

 part of his life gardener to the great Lord Burleigh. 

 That the wych elm, when permitted, will attain large 

 dimensions, is manifest by the size of several we have 

 observed in many places ; but that gigantic one, which 

 grew in Staffordshire, exceeds in magnitude any other 

 of this species which we ever heard of. It required 

 the labor of two men for five days to fell it ; it was 

 forty yards in length, with a diameter of seventeen feet 

 at the but ; yielding eight pair of naves, and eight thou- 

 sand, six hundred, and sixty feet of boards, the sawing 

 of which cost 10Z. 175. It contained ninety -seven tons 

 of timber. As Evelyn says, " this was certainly a 

 goodly tree ! " The etymology of this tree seems to be 

 unknown, and different authors, who mention it, spell 

 it, accordingly, various ways : Evelyn calls it wich, and 

 witch ; Gilpin, wich ; others, wych ; Bacon, weech. The 

 foliage of the young trees of this elm are the favorite 

 food of the larva? of the Buff-tip-moth, (Phal. Bucepha- 

 la), for though they likewise feed upon the young leaves 

 of the oak, and the lime, yet they give the preference 

 to those of this tree ; when so feeding, it will always 

 be known by their rejectments on the earth beneath, 

 which when the larvae are in any number, may be noticed 

 by very unattentive persons. This caterpillar, when 



