ENGLISH, OR SMALL-LEAVED ELM. 107 



One circumstance that seems to favour an exotic rather 

 than an indigenous origin, is, that in England it ripens 

 and matures its seed less frequently and in less quantity 

 than the continental U. campestris is said to do, though, 

 even in France and adjoining countries a proportion only 

 of the seed is matured, and, in Italy, we learn from Pliny's 

 account and description of the Elm, that such was the case 

 in ancient times. 



It is distributed, in some of its forms or varieties, over a 

 large portion of the middle and southern parts of Europe, 

 as well as part of western Asia, and the north of Africa. 

 In Italy it flourished in the time of its ancient classic 

 authors, and continues to do so at the present day. In 

 Rhenish Germany, Savoy, Switzerland, and a great part 

 of France, the JJ. campestris is the common wayside tree 

 of the country, though often seen varying more or less 

 from what we are now considering as its typical form. 

 A correspondent, to whom we are indebted for much 

 valuable information respecting this genus and other forest 

 trees, speaking of the Elm, in the districts we have men- 

 tioned, says, "It is a very large and fine tree, and its 

 commonest aspect is something intermediate between our 

 own English and Scotch Elms. Sometimes it so closely 

 resembles the first as to be indistinguishable, and some- 

 times also as closely the latter ; and yet, as if to claim 

 its own Protean character, half a dozen trees will occur 

 with tops like the English, and seed-bearing branches, 

 below, equally like the Scotch ; and again, a little farther, 

 there will be others with the seminal foliage above, and 

 barren branches, just like the English Elm, lower down.'" 



In France, it does not appear to have been planted 

 or cultivated as an ornamental tree till about 1540, though 

 we are not to argue, from this circumstance, that its first 



