ELM FAMILY 
The Wahoo or Winged Elm is a native of the southern 
states ranging along the line of Virginia, southern Illinois, 
and southern Indiana, to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. 
Its leaves are smaller than those of the White Elm ; its 
samaras are the smallest of all the elms ; its wood has inter- 
laced fibres which make it difficult to split; its economic 
value is virtually nothing. It grows rapidly, branches low to 
the ground, has beautiful and abundant foliage and may well 
claim a place in our parks and lawns. 
The most remarkable thing about the tree are the corky 
ridges along the sides of the branches from which the name 
alata has been given to the species. 
ENGLISH ELM 
- 
Ulmus campeéstris. 
This elm was brought over to New England at an early 
date in the history of the colonies and there are vigorous 
specimens about Boston fully one hundred and fifty years old. 
Although known to us asthe English Elm, competent opinion 
inclines to the belief that it was brought into England by the 
Romans and is not native to the island. This is the common 
elm tree of Europe and has been valued there both for its 
timber and its beauty from very ancient times. It does not 
have the drooping habit of our American elms but rather takes 
on the appearance of the oak.’ The leaves are oblique, often 
two-shouldered, rough, feather-veined and doubly serrate. 
Its seedlings vary greatly. 
The ancient poets frequently mention this tree which, in 
common with many other barren trees, was devoted by them 
to the infernal gods. The Greeks and Romans considered all 
trees which produce no fruit fit for human use as funereal trees, 
Homer alludes to this when he tells us that Achilles raised a 
monument to the father of Andromache in a grove of elms: 
Jove's sylvan daughters bade their elms bestow 
A barren shade, and in his honor grow. 
—lIliad, Book Vi 
248 
