THE NATIVE TREES OF RHODE ISLAND. 
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of these is the “ sheaf ” top, impressive from its symmetry, and 
the graceful curves of its branches as they sweep the sky. The 
illustrative picture of this form, which is not uncommon, was 
taken, some years ago, from the tree which was cut down to clear 
the Athletic Building lot, at the corner of Broad and Page streets, 
Providence. The body of this fine tree, which showed about one 
hundred annual rings, was cut into meat-chopping blocks. “ To 
what uses,” etc. ! 
With a couple centuries of growth the “ sheaf ” top takes the 
appearance, and, in a favorable location, the magnitude of the 
tree illustrated, now growing opposite a farm house at the base 
of Neutakonkenut Hill. This tree, fortunately, was not in the 
way of the recent street-levelling, as were others nearly as large, 
which yielded to “ improvements ; ” so it still stands, trembling at 
its probable fate. 
A characteristic specimen of the wide-spreading form is pre- 
sented from a tree now standing on the street at the eastern 
extremity'of the “North Burying Ground,” Providence. One of 
the limbs of this tree is about seventy -five feet in length. 
The “ Etruscan vase ” form of the tree is of notable grace and 
beauty. It comes from cutting away other trees which grew up 
around it, leaving the elm alone to grow. The long, slender 
body is thus exposed, which corresponds to the stem of the vase ; 
the spread and curve of the branches of the top patterns the 
bowl, while the roots strike out in ridges from the body to form 
the base. Such a tree sometimes sends out, from long dormant 
buds, short, brushy branchlets, after the sunlight comes to the 
body, producing what is named the “ fringed ” or “ bearded ” elm. 
An illustration of this form is here produced, the original of which 
grew upon the Ives and Brown estate, Providence. Place this 
tree by the side of the graceful palm, whose absence in our climate 
we may regret, and how much does it suffer by comparison ? 
So the elm runs through gradual variations of form, from the 
flat-top, wide-spreading “ sheaf,” “ orbicular,” “ vase,” and others 
to the “ plumose,” the rarest of all and almost unique in tree 
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