The Elm. 



accurately described the flower and the seed of the Elm, 

 should, when he comes to talk of the propagation of the 

 plant, not say one single word about propagation by seed ; 

 but falls to work to tell us, that the tree is propagated from 

 suckers, or from layers, and that layers are better than 

 suckers, because, in taking up the young plants, there is 

 not so much danger of tearing the roots to pieces. This is 

 a very curious way of plastering over a want of knowledge 

 of his subject. Why did he not get some of the seeds, as 

 they were to be got in such abundance, and try them in his 

 garden ; surely the seeds were not made for nothing. There 

 never was a seed yet, which, if perfect, would not produce 

 the like of the plant it came from. The Scripture tells us, 

 that every tree bears its seed in itself ; and certainly it does, 

 though laziness and inattention resort to cuttings and layers, 

 and thus produce a degenerate race of many sorts of trees. 

 Almost all the Elms are propagated from suckers : suckers 

 produce suckers ; and every farmer knows what a curse an 

 Elm tree is, standing on the side of a meadow or a field. 

 As to layer's, they are like cuttings or branches of trees, and 

 he must be a fool, indeed, that expects a long and clear 

 trunk to come out of a branch. 



230. We all know the various uses of the Elm ; it is used 

 by w^heelwrights for various purposes : its boards, though 

 not good, come quickly; the tree grovvs fast, and to a great 

 size ; it has an ample foliage, and though by no means 

 beautiful, it soon makes a bare spot look green : the tree 

 will grow in almost any soil, though it likes good ground 

 better than bad. It is one of the great trees of the country ; 

 the fuel it gives is good ; and certainly some pains ought 

 to be taken to have the tree straight and clear, free from 

 suckers coming out from the roots, and free from those 

 everlasting knots and knobs which suckers invariably have 



