ULMUS. 



fides like the other. It is called in the nurferies the Eng- 

 liHi elm. It is ftated by Dr. (now fir James) Smith, as the 

 opinion of Mr. Crowe, that this is the origin of all the cul- 

 tivated varieties of the elm : and Miller afferts that there 

 are feveral other varieties, but not worth noticing ; among 

 thefe is that with variegated or blotched leaves. Gilpin alfo 

 makes mention of the weeping elm. 



However, the varieties commonly noticed are, tlie com- 

 mon fmall-leaved Englifh elm ; the larger rough-leaved Eng- 

 lifli elm ; the fmall-leaved Cornifli elm ; the fmooth-barked 

 or Wych elm ; the narrow-leaved Wych or Scotch elm ; the 

 broad-leaved Wych elm ; the fmooth-leaved Wych elm ; the 

 rough-leaved Dutch elm, with large leaves ; the yellow or 

 golden-lbiped leaved elm ; the filver-ftriped elm ; and the 

 filver-dufledelm. 



The fecond fpecies is chiefly remarkable for its quick 

 growth and fungous rough bark. It is a native of Eu- 

 rope, and is often called the cork-barked or the Dutch 

 elm, as it was introduced from Holland at the beginning 

 of king William's reign : the wood is of very inferior 

 quality. 



The third fort has the bark of the branchlets fmooth and 

 even : the bark on the outfide in this is blacker than in that 

 of the firft kind, and is alfo very tough ; fo that when there 

 is plenty of fap, it will ftrip or peel from the wood of 

 the boughs from one end to the other, a dozen feet in 

 length, or inore, without breaking : the timber is in co- 

 lour nearly like the firft : it is not fo firm or ftrong for 

 naves of wheels, but will more eafily cleave : the branches 

 or young boughs are groffer and bigger, and fpread them- 

 felves broader, and hang more downwards ; the leaves 

 being much broader and longer than in any of the other 

 kinds of elm. 



The variety of it termed the fmooth-leaved elm is in big- 

 nefs and height like the firil, but the boughs grow as thofe 

 of the Wych hazel, hanging more downwards than thofe of 

 the common elm : the bark is blacker than that of the firft 

 kind, but will alfo peel from the boughs : the flowers and 

 feeds are like thofe of the firft ; the leaves alfo, ia form, are 

 like that, but fmooth in handhng on both fides : the wood is 

 faid to be more delired for naves of cart-wheels than that of 

 the firft fort. 



The fourth kind has three varieties, according to the Kew 

 catalogue : the firft is the red, or Canada elm, which grows in 

 its native country to a vaft fize ; the leaves are ovate, wrin- 

 kled, and fcabrous, broader than thofe of our Dutch or 

 Wych elms, fmoother, and of a much more lively green ; the 

 branches are red, whence it has the name of red elm. It 

 grows very faft in this climate. 



In the fecond variety, or the white elm, which is fo named 

 from the whitenefs of the branches, the leaves are fcabrous, 

 but oblong ; and, according to Gronovius, having narrower 

 leaves than the red, and the trunk befet at intervals with 

 twigs clofely cluftered together below the boughs. Boats 

 are faid to be made from the bark of it. 



The third, or the drooping or weeping variety of this 

 fort of elm, is diftingnidied by its oblong fmoothifh leaves, 

 and its pendent branches. Martyn obferves that the Ame- 

 rican fort diff^ers from the European elm, in having the 

 leaves equally, or, as Gronovius expreffes it, quite fimply 

 or fingly ferrate. 



The fifth fort, or the hornbeam-leaved elm, is a North 

 American fort of elm. 



The laft fort has the branches more flender than in the 

 other kinds, divaricating, and of a greyifti afli-colour : the 

 wood is very hard and tough, grey, remai'kably waved with 

 tranfverfe lines of a deeper colour, larger fibred, and when 



expofed to the air becomes yellower than oak, and is pre- 

 ferable to it : the aflies exported from Riga, under the 

 name of waidafche, are made entirely from the wood of this 

 and other elms, burnt in brick-furnaces ; the root is beauti- 

 fully variegated, and fit for the ufe of the turner, Sec: the 

 bark does not readilv peel ofi^, and therefore is not ufed for 

 making ropes. It is faid, in Southern Ruflia, to often con- 

 tend with the oak in ftature. 



There is a variety with both young and old branches 

 winged and rendered irregular with comprefted fungous 

 excrefcences of the bark varioufly interrupted ; and in 

 mountain rocks there is a variety which has fhorter 

 thicker branches, winged with fungous excrefcences of the 

 bark. 



Method of Culture. — In thefe trees it is efFefted in dif- 

 ferent ways ; as by feed, fuckers, layers, and grafting. 

 The feed, when perfetlly ripened, may be coUefted and 

 fown in the autumn or fpring, in four-feet wide beds, half 

 an inch deep ; that whicii is kept to the fpring being pre- 

 ferved by drying it well, out of the fun, then putting it 

 up clofe till towards autumn, when it fliould be mixed with 

 fand, to preferve it more effectually through the winter ; 

 when about the middle of February it fhould be fown as 

 above. The young plants fhould afterwards be carefully 

 fhaded, watered, and kept clear from weeds. They fhould 

 have one or two years growth in the feed-bed, and then be 

 planted out in nurlery lines, in rows two or three feet 

 afunder, and the plants fifteen or eighteen inches diftant in 

 each row, giving them the common nurfery care, and train- 

 ing them for the purpofes intended. If for ftandards, for 

 timber, or ornamental plantations, they fhould be trained 

 each to a fingle ftem, and as they advance in height, clear- 

 ing the ftems from all lateral fhoots, leaving only the very 

 fraall twigs, juft to draw and detain the fap, for the better 

 increafe of the ftem ; fuffering the leading top-fhoot to re- 

 main entire, as alfo the principal branches of the head ; but 

 thofe defigned for hedge-work. Sec. fhould be let branch 

 out all the way, and become feathered to the bottom, or as 

 low as may be requifite for the purpofes intended, only 

 trimming them occafionally with the knife or garden-fhears, 

 to give them the intended form. When the trees have had 

 four or five years' growth, and are from four or five, to fix, 

 eight, or ten feet high, they are fit for planting out where 

 they are to remain. 



The feed method of raifing the plants is the beft praftifed 

 with the Wych elm forts, as they ripen their feeds better 

 than the other kinds, during the fpring and fummer months ; 

 but when it can be obtained of a good quality from the 

 other forts, it may be ufed in the fame way with equal 

 fuccefs. 



The fuckers which moft of the forts fend up from the 

 roots, but efpecially the Englifh and Dutch forts, tliould be 

 taken up carefully with root-fibres, in autumn, winter, or 

 fpring, trimming them for planting by cutting them down 

 at top to fix or eight inches, placing them in fmall trenches 

 or drills five or fix inches deep, one row in each, half a 

 foot apart, and the drills about half a yard afunder ; giving 

 waterings in fpring and fummer ; letting them remain two 

 years, to form good roots, then planting them in wide 

 nurfery-rows, and managing them as direfted for the 

 feedlings. 



The layers of all the forts may eafily be made by pre- 

 vioufly preparing a quantity of ftools to produce fhoots, 

 fituated near the ground : the proper feafon for laying them 

 down is in the autumn, winter, or early in the fpring, per- 

 forming it by (lit-laying ; and as foon as the whole are laid 

 and moulded in, every layer fhould be lopped with a knife, 



down 



