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2. Ulmus americana Linnaeus. WHITE ELM. Plate 58. 

 Large trees; bark deeply fissured, gray, the ridges showing white 

 streaks between the layers; twigs more or less hairy at first and usually 

 becoming glabrous by the end of the season; buds ovate, acute and 

 glabrous; leaves ovate, oval or obovate, average blades 8-12 cm. long, 

 hairy on both sides on expanding, becoming at maturity glabrous 

 above and smooth or rough, sometimes very rough on vigorous young 

 shoots, remaining pubescent beneath, rarely glabrous; fruit ripening 

 before or as the leaves unfold, generally oval in shape, about 1 cm. 

 long, both surfaces glabrous, margins about as wide as the seed and 

 fringed with hairs; wood hard, tough, flexible, generally hard to split, 

 warps badly in seasoning. 



Distribution. Quebec to Florida, west to Texas and Nebraska. 

 Found throughout Indiana, and doubtless in every county. It is fre- 

 quent to common or very common on the flood plains of streams, in 

 wet woods and in low ground generally. 



Remarks. This species is also called water elm, swamp elm, gray 

 elm, bitter elm, sour elm and in southwestern counties it is often called 

 red elm. In Perry County it is often called hub elm. It is generally 

 known as "elm" and when this term is used, it refers to this species. 

 The wood has a very wide range of uses. The greatest amount has been 

 used for hoops, staves and heading. Large quantities have been used 

 in the manufacture of agricultural implements, hubs, furniture, 

 basket handles, etc. White elm is usually considered very difficult 

 to split, but I was informed by a pioneer timber cutter that the heart 

 wood of the veterans of the forest splits as well as oak, and that he 

 worked many a tree up into staves. He told me that he made into 

 staves a tree in Paul ding County, Ohio, that was eight feet in diameter 

 at the stump. There is little attempt being made by woodlot owners to 

 propagate this tree. However, the natural propagation of the species is 

 probably greater than any other species because it produces seed at an 

 early age, and culls of the forest are not cut because they are not 

 good for fuel which leaves them to produce seed. Then the seed are 

 light, and are scattered to great distances by the wind and water. It 

 is propagated very easily from seedlings. 



The tree when grown in the open has a tendency to be bushy and 

 unless it is given some pruning will have a very short clear trunk. 

 It has always been regarded as one of the best species for shade tree 

 planting. For beauty of form it is not excelled by any tree for shade 

 or ornamental planting. However, it has several insect enemies that 

 require spraying to keep them under control. 



