THE ELMS. 83 
inches in diameter in one direction, and over three feet 
in another. Michaux says that the white elm “is the 
most magnificent vegetable of the temperate zone.” It 
is the popular shade-tree of many portions of the United 
States. Horace, Ovid, and many other both ancient and 
modern poets speak of the elm, not only on account of 
its beauty, but the strange combination of grace, beauty, 
and majesty. It is the most popular tree for planting in 
parks, along avenues, and in cities, and, in short, wher- 
ever shade or beauty is required. It often reaches the 
height of from ninety to one hundred feet; it loses a 
great deal of its grace and beauty if grown in a forest 
where it is crowded among other trees. 
It grows chiefly in a moist soil; it sometimes thrives in 
a dry, but never in sterile soil. Its wood is chiefly used 
for the panels of carriages, naves of wheels, boxes, barrels, 
etc. It is seldom used for lumber when any other tim- 
ber can be obtained, as it warps badly. It is only as an 
ornamental tree that I would advise farmers to cultivate 
it, and as a shade-tree I cannot too strongly recommend. 
it. The corky white elm is sometimes mistaken for the 
white elm, but can easily be distinguished by the corky 
ridges on its branches. It is sometimes called river elm: 
its wood is tougher and of somewhat finer grain than 
the white elm. 
THE WAHOO, OR WINGED ELM. 
This rather uncommon species of the elm is so scarce 
' that little can be said in regard to it. It grows to the 
height of thirty or forty feet, and is distinguished by the 
corky ridges on the opposite side of its branches. Its 
wood is very fine-grained, and fit for turning, but is so 
uncommon that I cannot recommend its culture. Its 
most extensive use is in the construction of carriages. 
A fluid extract from the bark of the root of this tree 
is used as a tonic, alterative, and laxative, and is espe- 
cially beneficial in hepatic derangements, whether accom- 
