414 Canadian Record of Science. 



by no means an old tree, is little more than a picturesque 

 ruin. Another and younger specimen remains and may 

 serve to represent the interesting botanical relationships of 

 the Tiliacese. 



14. The Elm. Ulmus americana. 



One fine specimen stood on the ground in 1855, and was 

 usually known as the " Founder's Tree," having been 

 planted or preserved by Mr. McGill. It still stands, and is 

 tall in form and less spreading tban elms usually are near 

 Montreal, and is now (1891) lOfeetin circumference at two 

 feet from the ground. Many others have been planted, 

 especially along the avenue, where it was intended to have 

 a row of elms along each side. Great difficulties were 

 found however, in planting them successfully in the drier 

 parts of the ground, and in some places they would succeed 

 only after digging up a wide and deep bed and filling it 

 with manure. So soon, however, as the roots reached the 

 moist clay of the subsoil the trees grew vigorously. It has 

 happened in this way that some of the dying trees have 

 been replaced by maples; so that our avenue of elms is not 

 altogether complete. An inner row of soft maples was 

 planted at the same time, partly to protect the elms and 

 partly to form a shade in advance of the latter, the inten- 

 tion being ultimately to remove the maples and to leave 

 merely the avenue of elms. The elm is the favorite 

 ornamental tree in the province of Quebec, not only 

 because of its beauty, but on account of its rapid growth. 

 A tree planted in 1858 by Lady Dawson on the east side of 

 the avenue has now a circumference of 6 feet near the 

 ground, and is quite a stately tree. It has grown 

 more rapidly than some of the others on account of 

 the more suitable soil. The rough foliage of the elm 

 is remarkably exempt from the attacks of caterpillars- 

 Its worst enemy in my experience is the prickly black 

 caterpillar of the mourning cloak butterfly — Vanessa 

 antiopa. 



