DESOillPTIVE ENUMERATION OF TREES. 61 



meets witli a soil it loves, rises liiglier than the 

 generality of trees ; and, after it has assumed the 

 dignity and hoary roughness of age, few of its 

 forest brethren (though, properly speaking, it is 

 not a forester) excel it in grandeur and beauty. 



The Elm is the first tree that salutes the early 

 spring with its light and cheerful green — a tint 

 which contrasts agreeably with the Oak, whose 

 early leaf has generally more of the olive cast. 

 We see them sometimes in fine harmony together 

 about the end of April and the beginning of May. 

 We often, also, see the Elm planted with the 

 Scotch Fir. In the spring its light green is very 

 discordant with the gloomy hue of its companion ; 

 but as the year advances the Elm-leaf takes a 

 darker tint and unites in harmony with the Fir. 

 In autumn also the yellow leaf of the Elm mixes 

 as kindly \vith the orange of the Beech, the ochre 

 of the Oak, and many of the other fading hues of 

 the wood. 



A species of this tree called the Wych Elm, is 

 perhaps generally more picturesque than the com- 

 mon sort, at least on a foreground, as it hangs 

 more negligently ; though, at the same time, with 



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