THE WYCH ELM 
271 
stone. Rich alluvial soils however suit 
it best and account for its majestic 
beauty in our parks and beside water, 
for though not classed as a waterside 
tree, some of the finest examples of 
Wych Elms are seen near water, the 
boughs always weeping in old trees 
Isolated Tree in Park-land. 
which lean graceiuUy in all directions 
when grouped. 
A number of varieties of this tree 
have been named, distinguished mainly 
by slight difterences in habit of growth 
and the size, form, and colour of the 
leaf. Twenty- six such forms are given 
in the Kew list, nor does this exhaust 
the number. Some few are rea lly (i^- 
tinct, and among them the weepingform 
often seen in our parks and pleasure 
gardens. 
This is so easy that at one 
time Wych Elms were raised 
in large quantities, seed being abundant 
and the seedlings fit to plant more quick- 
Increase. 
ly than almost any other tree. This 
cheapness however was out of propor- 
tion to its use, and smaller stocks are 
now raised. The trees are fertile from 
about the thirtieth year and seed freely 
every second or third season even in 
Scotland and Ireland, where the Field 
Elm rarely fruits well. The flowers 
come in March or April before the 
leaves, the little brown or reddish-pur- 
ple clusters being rather pretty upon 
the bare shoots and more loosely tufted 
than in the Field Elm. The seeds ma- 
ture in June and must be gathered at 
I once, for the gentlest pufF detaches the 
leafy green scales when fully ripe, and 
they drift away in all directions on their 
broad wings. They should be sown at 
once, for Elm seeds promptly lose their 
vitality, and in this consists the one care 
needed — that of watching seed sown in 
the opengroundat midsummer. Though 
the young Elms transplant as well as 
any trees, even to a considerable age, 
to secure the best results they should 
be planted early in such good soil as 
is often found on river-banks, in places 
too steep for good cultivation. In such 
ground the growth is luxuriant and the 
plantations of permanent beauty. The 
Wych Elqa also roots easily from layers, 
or wherever the trailing branches touch 
the soil, and increase is also easy from 
the shoots which break from the trunk 
at the base of old trees. It was once a 
common practice to graft the Common 
Elm upon the Wych Elm, but no one 
seems to have had any clear idea of the 
advantage to be gained, and in this case 
experience seems to have proved its 
futiUty. 
