ULMTj] 



Cljr Ersatfury of 3Satanj?. 



1188 



The Common Elm, U. campestris, is the 

 most generally diffused species, though 

 said to have been introduced into Britain 

 by the Crusaders. It is a lofty upright 

 tree, composed of many tiers of spreading 

 branches, which often hang in graceful 

 festoons at the extremities ; the winged 

 seed-vessel (samara) is deeply cleft; the 

 leaves are rough to the touch, and taper to 

 a point. The young twigs are downy, and 

 sometimes slightly corky. The Cornish 

 Elm has its flower-buds arranged more 



regularly on the twigs than the last ; the 

 leaves are much smaller, more evenly 

 notched, and nearly smooth ; the branches 

 are generally rigid erect and compact. 

 The "Wych Elm, U. montana, is well distin- 

 guished from the preceding by its nume- 

 rous spreading branches, which frequently 

 droop so as to conceal the main trunk ; its 

 flowers are in looser tufts than those of 

 the common elm, and the seed-vessel 

 differs materially in being only slightly 

 notched. The leaves are much larger, taper- 

 ing to a sharp point, and nearly equal at 

 the base. The Cork-barked Elm is in habit 

 intermediate between the common and 

 wych elms, being more spreading than the 

 former, but not so much so as the latter. 

 The leaves are large, but the best distinc- 

 tive character is afforded by the branches, 

 which when one year old are very hairy, 

 and in the second year are thickly coated 

 with a cracked corky excrescence, from 

 which the tree derives its name. 



The Elm was held in high estimation by 

 the ancients, partly for the sake of its 

 leaves, which were dried and employed as 

 fodder, and partly for the use to which the 

 tree itself was applied, namely, as a prop 

 for vines. The former custom still obtains 

 in some parts of the Continent; but the 

 Elm is now principally valued for its tim- 

 ber, which is not only tough, but re- 

 markable for its durability under water. 

 Hence it is employed in naval architecture. 

 It was formerly much used in making 

 water-pipes, but of late years it has been 

 superseded by cast-iron pipes. The Elm, 

 growing in a forest and in good soil, arrives 



at perfection in 150 years, but it will live 

 for 500 or even 600 years. It retains its 

 foliage till late in the autumn, the leaves 

 assuming a rich yellowish hue some time 

 before they fall from the tree. The Com- 

 mon and Cornish Elms are considered to 

 afford the best timber. The American Elm 

 was introduced into England in a.d. 1752. 

 It is distinguished by its seed-vessel being 

 fringed at the edge with hairs. French : 

 Orme ; German : TJlme. [C. A. J.] 



The Elm, though one of our commonest 

 trees, is nevertheless a doubtful native; 

 for, in the language of old Aubrey :— ' I 

 never did see an elme that grew sponta- 

 neously in a wood, as oakes, ashes, beeches, 

 j &c, which consideration made me reflect 

 I that they are exotique ; but by whom were 

 they brought into this island 1 Not by the 

 Saxons; for upon enquiry I am informed 

 that there are none in Saxony, nor in Den- 

 marke, nor yet in France, spontaneous; 

 but in Italy they are naturall — e.g. in Lom- 

 bardie, &c. Wherefore I am induced to 

 believe that they were brought hither out 

 of Italy by the Romans, who were cultiva- 

 tors of their colonies. The Saxons under- 

 stoodnot nor caredfor such improvements, 

 nor yet had hardly leisure if they would 

 Aubrey's Wiltshire, cap. ix. 



As regards the species of Elm, authors 

 are by no means agreed. We are, however, 

 inclined to think that the two following 

 may stand at the head of two groups, about 

 which the many forms which occur in our 

 estates and shrubberies may be ranged as 

 varieties. These are U. campestris, the 

 English Elm, distinguished by its aspiring 

 method of growth; and U. montana, the 

 Scotch Elm, a shorter tree with more or 



Ulmus montana. 



less pendent branches. Bothof thesckinds 

 occasionally attain to enormous dimen- 

 sions, rivalling even the oak in size, and 

 both have warm admirers as contributing 

 to the beauty of forest scenery. As timber- 

 trees both the English and Scotch Elms 

 are employed extensively, but the former 

 is the favourite in this respect, and we I 

 think it decidedly more profitable to grow 

 for timber. 

 Before we possessed out Gardener's Chro- 



