The Osage Orange. 247 



thriftiness in smoky situations makes the European elm the most 

 valuable tree our climate will allow for city, street, and square 

 planting, and as a shade tree by road-sides no American tree is its 

 equal." 1 



977. The quality of the timber of this species is acknowledged to 

 be superior to that of our native species, and it well deserves atten- 

 tion for cultivation as a timber-tree. All of the elms afford in their 

 ashes a large amount of potash, and hence a top dressing of wood 

 ashes is of great advantage in their cultivation. 



978. THE WYCH ELM (Ulmus montana). This is also a European 

 species, often planted in parks. It grows to a large size, and more 

 resembles the red than the white elm. 



THE PLANERA (Planer a aquatica). 



979. This is a southern tree, found growing in river swamps from 

 North Carolina southward. It has the general habit of the elms, 

 but is of no special importance in forest-culture. 



THE OSAGE ORANGE (Madura aurantiaca). 



980. This tree, sometimes called bois-d'are (bow-wood), is found 

 native in the South-western States, in Texas, Arkansas, and Indian 

 Territory, sometimes growing to the height of fifty to seventy feet, and 

 to a diameter of three or four feet. The w r ood is there found to be ex- 

 tremely durable for stakes and posts, and is much prized for wagon- 

 making, on account of its hardness and slight tendency to shrink. 

 In its native region it grows best on a strong alluvial soil, but grows 

 well in other situations, excepting where the soil is damp, and with- 

 out drainage. It begins to bear fruit when about eight years old, 

 and the ripe " apples " are readily eaten by cattle. 



981. It can be cultivated for timber in the South-western States 

 very successfully in strong bottom lands, by preparing the land, 

 planting and cultivating for the first year cr two, in the same way 

 as for corn. They must be thinned out to 12 or 16 feet apart, and 

 be trimmed up, in order to secure a straight body and a fine growth, 

 but not more than is necessary to prevent 'the branches from inter- 

 locking or crowding too close. When standing alone, it makes a 

 low spreading tree, with but little trunk. It therefore requires 

 side-shading or trim in ing to make it grow high. As grown in the 



^Agriculture of Mass., 1875-6, p. 272. 



