1:>71 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. I'AKT 111. 



which give a knotted character to the leafless branches, before they are fully 

 developed ; but \vhich afterwards, from their colour, and their being supported 

 on peduncles, look like little tufts of red fringe. The seeds of the elm, also, 

 differ in the different kinds. "The inner bark of the elm is slightly bitter 

 and astringent; but it does not appear to possess any important quality. The 

 substance which exudes spontaneously from it is called ulmine." (Lind/cy's JSV//. 

 ,V//.s7. of Hot., p. 1 79.) Small bladders which possess considerable vulnerary pro- 

 perties are found on the leaves of elms, particularly in warm countries. The 

 elm is a native of Europe and North America, and part of Asia and Africa, 

 extentling as far south as the coast of Barbary, and as far north as Russia. 

 The elm has been a well known tree since the time of the Romans; and, 

 of all the European trees, it is that which is the most generally cultivated, 

 and most commonly applied to agricultural purposes. The reasons for 

 this preference, no doubt, are, that its culture is extremely easy ; its growth 

 rapid; and that it will thrive in almost any soil or situation/ It may also 

 be transplanted, with comparative safety, at almost any age ; and the timber 

 will remain uninjured for a greater length of time than any other, when 

 exposed to moisture. To counterbalance these advantages, the timber is 

 very apt to shrink and warp, unless it be constantly moist, or the wood be 

 kept for several years, after it is cut, before it is used. The tree, while in a 

 living state, is also very often attacked by insects; and the timber is liable to 

 become worm-eaten. Trees grown on a dry soil, and singly, make the best 

 timber ; but they are neither so large nor so long-lived as those grown in a 

 moister soil, which form what is called in France le bois gras. Notwith- 

 standing this, the elm will not thrive in very moist soil, as it is by no means 

 an aquatic tree, like the alder. The wood of elms that have been frequently 

 pruned becomes knotted; and this wood, when polished, is very ornamental. 

 To obtain it, the trees in France are sometimes kept lopped, and headed down 

 every three or four years. The variety called the twisted elm (orme tor- 

 tillard) is also much esteemed for its wood; as are the monstrosities, or knobs, 

 found occasionally on all the species of elm; and which, when cut into thin 

 slices, and polished, are kept by cabinet-makers for the purpose of veneering. 

 The elm is remarkable for the aptitude of the different species to vary from 

 seed ; so much so that it is extremely difficult to say in this genus which are 

 species and which are varieties; or even to what species the varieties belong. 

 To us it appears, that there are only two sorts which are truly distinct ; 

 viz. U. campestris and U. montana. U. americana, we are assured by Mr. 

 Masters of Canterbury, who has paid great attention to the genus, and raised 

 many sorts, both from American and European seeds, is identical, or apparently 

 so, with what is called the Huntingdon elm ; a variety raised at Huntingdon, 

 between 80 and 90 years ago, from seeds gathered from trees in that neigh- 

 bourhood. U. glabra and U. major seem intermediate between U. campes- 

 tris and U. montana. U. effusa appears very distinct ; but is probably only 

 a variety of U. campestris. Of all the numerous varieties which may be 

 procured in British nurseries, the best kinds for cultivation for their timber 

 appear to be, the Huntingdon elm ( U. in. glabra vegcta), and the wych elm 

 ( U. montana) ; and for ornament, the weeping elm (U. montana pendula), 

 the subevergreen elm ( U. campestris virens), and the twiggy elm ( U. cam- 

 pestris viminalis). The sucker-bearing elms are chiefly the varieties of U. 

 campestris, and these seldom produce seeds; but U. montana, and U. m. 

 glabra, and their varieties, which never throw up suckers, produce seeds in the 

 greatest abundance every year. U. campestris does indeed produce seeds 

 occasionally, though rarely, in England ; and the U. c. viminalis is a British 

 seedling. In France, U. campestris ripens seeds much more freely, and these 

 have given rise to many varieties. 



* 1. U. CAMPE'STRIS L. The English, field, or common . smal/-/cfivc<l, Elm. 



.MH. I.in. Sp. I'l., ;i27. , Willd. Sp. PI., p. \.',2\. ; HoM Fl. Auslr., 1. p. ,'iX). ; SHI. Eiigl. 

 Fl., 2. p. 20. ; Lindl. Syno|>8., p. 22<>. ; Hook. I?r. Fl. f cd. '2., p. HI. ; Mackay Fl. Hibcrnica, pt. 1. p. 240. 



