ON ORNAMENTAL TREES 



the preeminence of this tree. Nothing could more 

 admirably meet the purposes of a shade and 

 avenue tree. 



The English elm, which is a more compact 

 grower than the American species, has been widely 

 planted in California. But the American elm 

 thrives here also, although not native to the coast, 

 and it is much less subject to insect pests than is 

 the European species; also the English elm is stiff, 

 and quite lacking in the graceful lines that the 

 American elms so naturally assume. 



There is a considerable range of variation 

 among American elms, notably in the size of the 

 leaves, and the openness or compactness of 

 growth. 



Indeed the variation is so great that it is 

 never wise to plant a row of seedling elms along a 

 street or roadside. It is much better in the interest 

 of uniformity to secure good roots and then graft 

 them with cions of a single variety. 



The slippery elm, which grows in the same 

 regions with the common American species, is a 

 tree of more compact growth, but on the whole 

 not to be compared with the other species. There 

 are natural hybrids, however, between the Ameri- 

 can elm and the slippery elm that exceed either 

 parent in size, and sometimes are of surpassing 

 beauty. 



[303] 



