THE ELM FAMILY 141 



dome, or plume, the former being the most com- 

 mon. The ehn branches are arching and 

 slightly drooping, with fine, delicate spray and 

 small shiny buds. The average height of the 

 tree is seventy or eighty feet, but it often 

 reaches one hundred feet or more. 



The leaf of an elm is oval, about six inches 

 long by three inches broad, and may be known 

 by its unequal base, the part upon one side of 

 the midrib being considerably larger than that 

 on the other side. They are rough, dark green 

 above, pale green and smooth beneath. They 

 turn a golden brown or yellow in autumn. The 

 bark of the tree is dark gray and rough. The 

 reddish-brown wood is strong and very tough. 

 You remember how the Deacon's famous 

 "Wonderful One-Horse Shay" was made of the 

 very best wood : 



"The hubs of logs from the 'Settler's ellum,' 

 Last of its timber, — ^they couldn't sell 'em, 

 Never an axe had seen their chips, 

 And the wedge flew from between their lips, 

 Their blunt ends frizzled like celery-tips." 



Many people think that the elm never blos- 

 soms, but if they were to examine the topmost 

 branches of the tree in early spring, when the 

 sap begins to stir and the sun shines warm and 



