WHITE ELM 



(Ulmus Americana) 



SIX species of elm occur in the United States, not counting the planer 

 tree as an elm, though lumbermen usually consider it as such.* The 

 white elm is the most common, is distributed most widely, and is com- 

 mercially the most important. More of it is used as lumber, slack coop- 

 erage, and other forms of forest products, than all other elms of this 

 country combined. The statistics of sawmill output collected annually 

 by the United States census are not compiled in a way to show the elms 

 separately. All go in as one. The annual lumber cut of elm in the whole 

 country is about 265,000,000 feet, distributed over thirty-four states, 

 with Wisconsin leading, followed in the order named by Michigan, Ind- 

 iana, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, New York, and Minnesota. In addition 

 to lumber, elm furnishes about 130,000,000 slack cooperage staves 

 yearly. 



The elms, taken as a class, are much alike. There is more resem- 

 blance between the species than between species of oaks or pines, yet 

 some difference exists between elms. This holds not only between 

 different species, but between individuals of the same species. Climate, 

 situation, and soil have much to do with the character of the wood of 

 the same species. So great is the difference at times that fairly good 

 judges of timber are deceived as to the species. A tree growing on dry, 

 rocky soil produces wood quite different from one on rich, deep, well- 

 watered soil. Not only is the wood of one different from that of the 

 other, but the appearances of the standing trees are not alike. The 

 differences may not show in leaves, flowers, and fruit as much as in the 

 shapes and sizes of trees, and the habit of the branches. 



White elm is by common consent the type of the genus, the stand- 

 ard by which the other species are measured. It is proper to compare 

 certain properties and characters of other elms with white elm, in order 

 that a general view of all may be had. The dry weights, per cubic foot, 

 of wood are as follows: White elm 40.54 pounds, slippery elm 43.35, 

 cedar elm 45.15, cork elm 45.26, and wing elm 46.69. Figures which 

 show the weight of the southern red elm (Ulmus scrotina) are not avail- 

 able. White elm is thus shown to be lightest of the group. 



Its breaking strength averages 12,158 pounds per cubic inch, under 



*The elms are white elm (Ulmus americana), cork elm (Ulmus racemosa), 

 slippery elm (Ulmus fmbescens), cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia), wing elm (Ulmus 

 alata), and red elm (Ulmus seroiina). They are all confined to the region east of the 

 Rocky Mountains. 



