24 
THE NATIVE TREES OE RHODE ISLAND. 
developed specimens of the American, or white, elm as can be 
found in the country. The tree has a wide range of nativity — 
from Canada to the Gulf States, and west to the Mississippi. But 
it is among the older settlements of New England that the tree 
has longest had the advantage of open spaces and good feeding- 
ground. The tree is not particular where it stands, only that it 
has plenty of room to spread, and a good chance for its roots to 
forage for nutriment. It is a great feeder, and will send its roots 
a surprising distance to get a rich deposit. The great Johnston 
elm, one of the largest in New England, when standing, sent its 
roots far into a rich meadow more than a hundred yards away. 
Its habits should be well considered when deciding where to plant 
it. 
One of the most interesting elms now standing in Rhode Island 
is at Prospect terrace, on Congdon street, Providence. It is prob- 
ably a self-planted tree. When Congdon street was laid out, 
Jeremiah Congdon, who owned and gave the land, stipulated that 
the tree should be preserved. Street graders, in these days, 
would probably cut down the tree, for interrupting the curbstone 
line is, presumably, of more importance than preserving a mag- 
nificent, two-century elm tree. The story that this tree was 
planted by Roger Williams may properly be put with that other 
pretty fiction which tells the lovers of local history that the big 
boulder recently brought over the river from Massachusetts, and 
carefully placed within the Roger Williams landing-place at 
“Slate Rock,” is the identical rock upon which the founder of 
these Plantations first set his foot ! Still, it is not improbable 
that this tree was a sapling while Roger Williams was yet living. 
At any rate, it has outlived several generations of men and women 
who have been refreshed by its shade and delighted by its majestic 
proportions. All honor to Jeremiah Congdon, whose thought- 
fulness preserved the tree ! 
The greatly varied forms which individual trees of our native 
elm take add much to its landscape value. The principal of 
these are shown in the photographs herein reproduced. One 
