10 THE TREE PROPAGATOR AND PLANTER. 



travel a long distance from the stem of the tree, a few 

 inches under the surface of the ground. I have traced 

 them for rods. These suckers may be taken up with a 

 mattock and planted in rows or beds, and finally trans- 

 planted to the place where they are to remain for 

 timber. 



The seed should be gathered as soon as ripe, buried 

 as recommended for the Ash, and sown in early spring 

 in the same manner. The seedlings will be fit for 

 grafting the second and third springs from the sowing. 

 This should be done near the ground, except in the case 

 of grafting the pendulous varieties, when the grafting 

 must be done at the top of the stem, as for the " Weep- 

 ing Ash." 



The Elm will grow to a large size, and remain sound 

 in a good deep soil, not too wet ; but if the locality is 

 low and supersaturated with stagnant water, the timber 

 will begin to decay before it has arrived at half the 

 size it is capable of attaining. It will soon begin to 

 do this in the centre, at the root, if the land is too wet, 

 The Elm never has a taproot, and seldom any very large 

 downward spurs like the Oak or Ash. This is the 

 cause of its early decay and of its easy capture by the 

 winds. 



When, however, the soil suits it, and the tree 

 flourishes at a great size, such timber will generally be 

 found to be sound, although extra large. This timber 

 is liable to be attacked by the larva of the goat moth, 

 which will eat its way into the heart and cause the 

 decay of the tree. 



The Beech. 



The Beech is propagated by seed and by grafting. 

 The_ common sorts are raised from seed, which is 

 obtained in abundance. These nuts may be gathered 

 as soon as ripe, and should be preserved moderately dry 

 until March or April, when they should be sown in 

 drills as for marrow peas, in a light sandy soil. If the 

 ground is good, the seedlings will make satisfactory 



