THE OTHER HARDWOODS _ 149 
the soil of part of the food-supplies intended for 
the field crops. 
For proper development the elms require a 
warm situation and rather a fresh soil, as they 
transpire water freely through their foliage. Even 
when growing on what appears to be rather dry 
land their deep, heart-shaped roots provide them 
with no inconsiderable supply of moisture from 
the subsoil. Hence a warm, sunny exposure, as 
in avenues and parks, and a fresh or moist, deep 
sandy loam are where the finest growth of elm 
is to be expected. Though breaking early into 
leaf, it suffers little from late frosts. But the 
early frosts in autumn soon wither the yellowing 
leaves and bring them to the ground. It is a 
light-demanding tree, its requirements in this 
respect being often almost on a par with those of 
the oak. But as coppice on moist soil it often 
does fairly well under standards which do not 
overshadow it too heavily. The demand for 
light shown by elm trees of large size is, how- 
ever, sO pronounced, that groups of pure elms 
do not long maintain themselves in close canopy ; 
and this renders it unsuitable for growth in pure 
woods, even if this were profitable, which is not 
