ELM. 



55 



the horizon. These straggling, tall, tufted poles, 

 stuck in, perpendicular to the flat surface, are com- 

 posed of living narrow-leaved elm-trees, which the 

 perseverance of the peasantry in quest of billets, has 

 reduced to this condition. Some varieties of this 

 elm, however, when uncurtailed in lateral expansion, 

 attain the grandest development, stretching forth a 

 hundred giant arms aloft, supporting masses of foli- 

 age, fantastically magnificent. 



In the neighhom'hood of London, this tree is at- 

 tacked by an insect, which, running along the out- 

 side of the timber, within the bark, in a few sea- 

 sons deprives the individual of life, the bark peeling 

 oflP in large gu'dles, threatening to bereave this capi- 

 tal of the finest ornaments of its parks. We have 

 observed, in different kinds of growing trees, such as 

 the apple and oak, the roads of insects traversing be- 

 tween the rhind and wood, although the individual 

 thus affected appeared to suffer little or no injury ; and 

 we consider the agency of the insect in the destruc- 

 tion of the Enghsh elm around London to be mere- 

 ly sequent to disease — perhaps a taint of corruption, 

 or slight putrescency of the sap, occasioned by the 

 impurities of the London air, assisted by the hard 

 beaten state of the ground ^ above the roots. Should 



* In those we observed, we considered this last circumstance 

 had a considerable share as a predisposing cause of the attack of 



