228 



PKACTICAL FORESTKY. 



dish hard wood, more durable than that of any other indige- 

 nous species, and is often used for fence posts and rails. 



U. racemosa, Thomas.— Corky White Elm.— Twigs and bud 

 scales downy, and branches often with corky ridges. Leaves 

 obovate-oblong, oblique at the base, sharply serrate. Flowers 

 in racemes, and not in compact or close clusters, as in our 

 other native species. Fruit smooth, oval or elliptic, very downy, 

 with the margins thickly fringed. A large tree, with fine- 

 grained, heavy, tough wood, superior to that of any other in- 

 digenous elm for purposes where toughness and elasticity is 

 required. Common in Western New York, Ontario, and west 

 to Nebraska. Also said to be found in Ohio, Michigan and 

 Kentucky. 



FOREIGN SPECIES AKD VARIETIES. 



The elms are all so inclined to vary from seed, that it is often 

 difficult to determine the original type of a species, as well as to 

 determine to what species many of the cultivated varieties be- 

 long. What is called the English Elm (Ulmus campestris), was 

 early introduced into this country, and quite extensively planted 

 in and about Boston, where at this time some of the most noble 

 specimens of this tree can now be seen in full maturity, and of 

 great age. The leaves of this species differ from our common 

 American Elms, in being smaller and of a darker green color, 

 and the branches spring out from the main stem more nearly at 

 right angles, and the general form of the head is more inclined 

 to be pyramidal than broadest at the top, as usual with our 

 American White Elm, which has been so extensively planted in 

 nearly all New England cities and villages. The English Cork- 

 bark Elm {Ulmus suberosa) is a variety of the last, with its 

 young branches very corky, with rougher and much larger 

 leaves, while the variety known as the Dutch Cork-bark {U. 

 major), has still larger leaves, and of a more spreading habit of 

 growth. Some of the largest specimens of both the English and 

 Dutch Cork-bark Elms to be found in this country, are to be 

 seen on Long Island, near Glen Cove and eastward, some of 

 them probably are two centuries old. 



The Scotch or Wych Elm ( U. montana) is a noble tree, with 

 wide spreading branches, and although not so well known in 

 this country as the English or Dutch Cork-bark, still of late 

 years it has been more largely planted than formerly. There is 

 a weeping variety, the (^7. m. pendula), and a smooth-leaved 



