ULMUS. 



down to one eye above tlie ground. In this way tliey rea- 

 dily take root in the fpring and fummer following, (hooting 

 at top fometimes two or three feet long by the autumn, when 

 they (Kould be detached from the ftools, and be planted in 

 nurfery-rows, two feet or a yard afunder, and half a yard 

 diftant in tlie rows : when they begin to ilioot, they fliould 

 be trained with one leading {hoot only, as tlie fecdling elms, 

 managing them in the fame manner. 



In the grafting method, all the varieties of elms may be 

 increafed and continued diftinft, which niould be done upon 

 llocks of the Wych elm, raifed from feed, fuckers, or layers, 

 though the feedling (locks are prelcrable. For which pur- 

 pofe, fome rows of Wych elms (hould be allotted for (locks, 

 which, after having two years' growth in the nurfery lines, 

 will be fit to graft on : when about the beginning of Fe- 

 bruary, the cuttings of the young moderate (lioots of the 

 beft Englilh elm, or any other variety, fliould be inferted 

 into the (locks by the method of whip-grafting, putting 

 them in as low as poffiblc, for which the earth fliould be 

 removed away a little down to each root, then cutting off 

 the head of the (lock within two or three inches of the 

 bottom ; the grafts be inferted one in each (lock, as 

 above, binding them clofe, and claying them well ; then 

 drawing the earth up about and over the clay, the more 

 efFeftually to fccure it from falling off by the etfefts of the 

 froft or other caufes. When they begin to flioot, they 

 (hould be trained with only one leading (hoot, fo that if they 

 fork at top into two or more, the weakell (liould be taken 

 off, leaving the bed Ihoot for the leader, difplacing all large 

 fidc-(hoots from the (lems, and letting the tops or leading 

 (hoots remain always entire, as alfo the general upper 

 branches of the heads. 



It has been obferved, that as the common elm produces no 

 feeds in this country, it is beft propagated by fuckers, or 

 cultivated by grafting. In the firft cale, when the old tree 

 is cut down, or the roots wounded by any accident, young 

 (hoots are thrown out in great abundance. The raifing oi 

 elms by layers is advife d by fome as better than by fuckers, 

 which it ia laid are more liable to breed fuckt'rs, and of 

 courfe to injure the trees, and encumber tlie ground 

 around them. Sucti (latements are not, however, exaflly 

 true, as there are no better trees than thofe raifed by fuckers, 

 when it is properly performed, and they are placed for two 

 or three years in a good nurfery-ground. Young trees 

 growing as fuckers, without tranlplanting, certainly breed 

 and fend up new ones, as they fpring up from long hori- 

 zontal roots, which being bruiled by accident, or otherwife 

 wounded, will, in all fucii places, throw up new plants ; 

 but if the young trees be cut and feparated Irom fuch roots, 

 and then planted out in good foils, they fpcedily become 

 llourifhing, and grow exadlly in the fame manner the larger 

 trees grow. 



On the examination of thefe roots, no deficiency will be 

 found, it is afferted ; but the cafe is widely didcrent if the 

 young trees remain attached to the parent roots, the decay in 

 the (lumps of which communicates with the young trees ; 

 and this is the reafon, it is fuppofed, wliy io much orf the 

 hedge-row elm-timber in fome places falls in an unfound 

 (late. Although apparently flourifliing in the lower parts 

 of the ftotks, they all grow from fuckers, which convey 

 tlie rot from the parent to the odspring ; and it is a rare 

 thing, in fome dillrifts, to find two lound elms together that 

 have fprung up fpontancoufly ; though it in equally uncom- 

 mon to find a planted tree unfound at the bottom. The 

 plants, in all expofcd fit nations, (hould be put down fmall 

 and nouri(hing, being free from any fort of former check, 

 as fuch plants anfwcr the bed in all cafes. 



Vol. XXXVII. 



In order to prevent the above danger, the young plants 

 (hould be early fevered from the parent roots or trees ; they 

 will then almoft immediately fend down perpendicular roots 

 into the foil, take firm hold of the ground, and become in- 

 dependent trees. 



As the (lumps of old trees decay in a few years, they be- 

 come a fort of bowls filled with rain-water, which not only 

 rots thefe (lumps, and penetrates and deftroys the interior of 

 thofe roots that formerly nourilhed the trees, but which 

 adually afcends the Hems of the young elm-plants, that 

 fpring from fuch roots. It is contended, that in fpite of 

 luxuriant foUagc and a clean bark, it will be found on the 

 infpeftion of any plant fo produced, tiiat the mifchief has 

 already begun, which grows with itb growth, and (Irengthens 

 with its (Ireiigth, until the tree becomes fit for felling. Spe- 

 cimens of fuckers from decaying Humps, not an inch in dia- 

 meter, have been met with and prelerved, in which the heart 

 was already injured ; and this will continue, it is faid, to in- 

 creafe, until the channel of communication is cut o(F. Af- 

 ter feparation the evil does not increafc, as it is found, on tlie 

 examination of fuckers of this dcfcription, planted in a nur- 

 fery, that they bid fair to make found trees. The butt of a 

 planted elm has never been feen to be unfound, unlefs from 

 great age, or external injuries : it is confequently advifed to 

 plant, in the firft place, trees of this fort from the nurfery, 

 when of proper fize, and to conftantly fupply the nurfery 

 with fuckers from the hedge-rows, as it may be done with 

 little trouble and expenfe ; and in the fecond place, to cut 

 o(f the connexion and communication of young promifing 

 trees with their parent roots or ftools early, opening the 

 hedge-rows at three or four feet diftant from the ftems or 

 ftumps ; as by thefe means found trees of this fort may be 

 eafily raifed and provided for dilFerent purpofes. 



Thefe trees are highly ufeful, both for timber and in the 

 way of ornament, wlien planted out on large open fpaccs, 

 or other ways ; likewife for being clipped, or cut into parti- 

 cular forms, and as forming hedges in various fituations. 

 Thefe forts of trees, in their larger or fmaller growths, are 

 ufed for fupplying thofe and other intentions and purpofes 

 in many dilFerent methods. All the forts and varieties of 

 the elm are of hardy growth, and will fuccced perfectly well 

 in any common foil and cxpofure, but delight mod in a ricli 

 deep earth of a ftifR(h loamy nature, which is rather inclined 

 to moifture, the Englilh forts having the beft fituations and 

 foil, and the Wych and Dutch kinds thofe which are inferior 

 in thefe refpefts. 



For moll purpofes, the plants of thefe forts of trees (hould 

 be planted out finally while they are in their young (lates of 

 growth, as from four or five, to fix, eight, or ten feet in 

 height, in which they commonly take root, grow, and 

 eftablilh tliemfelves the moil freely, expeditiou(ly, and in 

 the fulleft manner. 



It may however be particularly noticed, that elms will 

 bear removing when large, better than moll other forts of 

 trees, as they are more furnilhed with fuperficial horizontal 

 root-fibres. Thus, trees of fifteen or twenty feet in height 

 may often be taken up with a large iprcad of roots .ind 

 balls of earth about ihem, and be lafely removed by being 

 replanted in fpacious pits or holes dug for them, where 

 they readily (Irike new root, and grow llrongly. But the 

 removing and tranfplanting of thefe large trees is not by 

 any means a proper or dcfirable prattice for making plant.i- 

 tiona, or other forts of field planting, but merely occalionally 

 for particular ufes and purpofes, where (hade, Ihcltcr, or a 

 blind to fome part is wanted. 



The moft proper and fuitable time for planting out and 



removing all fuch plants and trees, is from the beginning of 



X X autumn 



