ELM FAMILY 



great size, or because of some great event occurring beneath 



their branches. For example, the Washington Ehn in Cam- 

 bridge, Massachusetts, is so called 

 because beneath its shade Gen- 

 eral \\'ashington is said to have 

 first drawn his sword, on taking 

 command of the Ameiican army. 

 Tlie famous , treat)- of \Villiam 

 Penn with the Indians was made 

 beneath the branches of an enor- 

 mous elm, which remained stand- 

 ing in the suburbs of Philadel- 

 phia until iSio, when it was 

 blown down. Its site is marked 



by a marble column and its age was estimated to be two 



hundred and thirty-three years. 



White Elm, Uhints ,2»u-n\ 

 as I2' long. 



Sam.Tr- 



SLIPPERY ELM. RED ELM 



C 'Uniis pubcsLcns — L 'hinis fiiha. 



Fulvii, reddisli yellow, refers to the colttr of the wood. Pubt'sce}js, 

 downy. Slippery characterizes the inner bark. 



Common. Sixty to seventy feet in height, trunk sometimes two 

 feet in diameter and spreading branches which form a broad, open, 

 flat-topped head. Prefers banks of slreanis and fertile hillsides ; 

 roots fibrous. Ranges from St. Lawrence Ri\er to Florida and 

 throughout the entire Mississippi valley. 



Bark. — Dark brown tinged with red. divided by shallow fissures, 

 and covered with large loose plates. ISranchlcts stout, bright green, 

 later light brown, finally dark gray or brown. 



Wood. — Dark brown or red ; heavy, hard, close-grained, strong, 

 tough, durable in contact with the soil, and easy to split while green. 

 When boiled or steamed it becomes very flexible. Used for fence 

 posts, railway ties, sills of buildings, agricultural implements. Sp. 

 gr., 0,6956 ; weight of cu. ft., 43.35 lbs. 



Winter Buds. — Leaf-buds ovate, rather obtuse, one-fourth of an 

 inch long, covered with tawny hairs. Flower-buds larger than leaf- 

 buds. Inner scales enlarge with the growing shoot and become 

 green, obtuse, hairy, the innermost serve as stipules for a time. 



240 



