104 THE ELM. 



tions of the topmost boughs, which are widely diver- 

 gent, and shoot out on all sides in long, flexible, and 

 pendulous branches, bending into regular arches, and 

 floating lightly in the air. In isolated positions the 

 Elm occasionally grows to the height of 100 feet; 

 the trunk is then sometimes clothed to near its base 

 with its beautiful verdure, which seems to wreathe 

 about it like some parasitical vine or creeper. 



In Europe, the Elm lives to an advanced age, and 

 often attains a prodigious size. The Crawley Elm, 

 situated on the road from London to Brighton, is 71 

 feet high, and the trunk measures at the ground 61 

 feet in circumference. 



At Hampstead, a Hollow Elm formerly stood, the 

 trunk of which measured at the base about 30 feet, 

 and at the height of 42 feet appears to have been 

 broken off. It is entirely hollow from the top to the 

 bottom, in which a staircase had been built, leading 

 to the summit, which was turreted, and provided with 

 seats for six persons. It appeared to be in a thriving 

 condition, and covered with the most luxuriant foliage, 

 which spread to a considerable distance on every side. 



The Birch and the Poplar must also be reckoned 

 among the beautiful trees of our forests. The Paper, 

 or Canoe Birch, and the Yellow Birch, both in- 

 habitants of the Northern and Eastern States and 

 Nova Scotia, are lofty trees, with their trunks mea- 

 suring from 3 to 18 feet in circumference. The 

 former is remarkable for the beautiful texture of the 

 bark, which is capable of being split into thin plates 

 or layers, which have a fine smooth surface, and 



