76 THE YOUNG 



" When the elm leaf is as big as a mouse's 

 ear* 



Then to sow barley never fear. 



When the elm leaf is as big as an ox's eye 



Then say I, Hi' boys, Hi' ! " 



The foliage of the elm although light 

 green when first expanded soon ac- 

 quires a darker shade, and forms a 

 pleasing contrast in summer with the 

 lighter tints of our deciduous leaved 

 trees. Under favourable conditions 

 the elm is of quick and rapid growth. 

 It begins to bear flowers when about 

 thirty years old, but the seeds will 

 only germinate if sown within a few 

 days of their being plucked from their 

 parent stem. The elm often attains a 

 great size, instances are recorded of 

 British trees having a girth of fifty 

 feet, with a height of 120 feet, this 

 extreme limit must be rarely reached, 

 for a circumference of thirty feet forms 

 a notable tree, although fifteen to 

 twenty feet in girth, with a height of 

 ninety or one hundred feet, are quite 

 common specimens in our old English 

 parks. It is a favourite tree for plant- 

 ing in policies and for forming avenues 

 in the environs of mansions. From 

 its over-topping height they are usually 

 selected by the rooks as eligible sites 

 for their nests, thus the May Queen 

 sings : — 



" The building rooks 'ill caw, from the 

 windy tall elm tree." 



They thrive fairly well in towns, but 

 the mischievous sparrows are very 

 fond of picking off the young leaf-buds 



NATURALIST. 



in spring, apparently more from play <j 

 than from any desire to utilise them as 

 food. I have seen a flock stripping a I 

 young tree evidently in mere frolic- 

 some wantonness. Next to the birch (j 

 and beech the elm has the slenderest | 

 twigs of any of our forest trees, and 1 

 the delicate tracery of their fine rami- 

 fications has a beautiful effect when 

 viewed against the sky on. a winter's 

 day, when denuded of their foliage, 

 which generally fades to a pale yellow 

 before it falls. Eor general utility the 

 elm takes first-class rank amongst our 

 timber trees, as the old Scot's rhyme 

 has it : — 



" Oak, ash, and elm-tree, 

 The Laird can hang for a' the three ; 

 But fir, saugh, and bitter weed, 

 The Laird may flyte, but make naething 

 be'et." 



Its wood is peculiarly suitable for 

 employment in any construction under 

 water, as it is very enduring whilst 

 kept constantly wet, but it soon decays 

 if subject to alternating periods of wet- 

 ness and dryness. Compared with oak 

 its breaking strain is as eight to ten. 

 It has, however, strong longitudinal 

 cohesion, with considerable elasticity, 

 and is much employed for rough work 

 requiring to resist a heavy strain, as 

 in cart and waggon wheels, whilst one 

 of its best known uses is in the manu- 

 facture of coffins. Old trunks often 

 exhibit curious excresences, which are 

 beautifully veined and are highly prized 

 by cabinet-makers. The elm cannot 



