The American Elm has a wide range. It is hardy and cheerful among new snrroundin It reflects the - n' indomitable spirit of the pioneer whom it accompanied in his going from the eastern states into the untried treeless territories of the west. With him, the tree seized the land and made it yield a living. It has grown up with the country. People go back ‘' down east," and marvel at the size of the elms there compared with those in the west. (jive them a century more to grow, and there will be patriarchal elms in the Missouri valley as there are now in the valleys of the Connecticut and the Merrimac.
The English Elm, UIa es cmii pestris, is a large and handsome tree, which usually forms a pyra midal or oblong bead. It is often planted in parks with the American elm, and the two trees present marked contrasts. The English tree looks stocky the American, airily graceful. ( hie stands I wavily upon its heels" ; the other on tiptoe. ( )ne has a compact crown ; the other a loose, open one. I 11 October the Elms on Boston Common are still bright and green, while their American cousins are in the sere and yellow The Scotch or Wych Eli n, Ulincs 'implant,. is planted freely in our parks and private It is a medium-sized tree of rather more strict habit of growth than the American elm. Before the leaves open the tree often looks bright green from a distance. This appearance is due to the winged seeds. which are exceptionally large, and are crowded upon the twigs in great rosettes. This tree has many horticultural varieties.
One of them is the Camperdown Elm, a weeping form, which arches its limbs downward on all sides, forming when full grown a natural arbor.
It is named in honor of the Earl of Camperdown who admired the variety, and planted it extensively on his English estates.
Centuries of cultivation have developed a great number of horti cultural varieties of each of the old world species of elms. The Amer ican elm has already a few named varieties. The native species have shown tendencies to vary, and will doubtless yield their full quota of varieties, beautiful and grotesque, as they come more under the observa tion and care of Tmrserymen.
The Ha•kberry, or Sugarberry, oteideptctlis, which is closely allied to tile elms, is a tree of medium or small size. The absence of ter minal buds induces a forking habit which makes the branches gnarled and crooked. The pith of young branches is white and chambered, a character that at once distinguishes the tree from the elms, which it resembles in leaf and bud. The Ila•kberry flowers are borhe singly in time axils of the leaves. The fruit is a solitary one-seeded berry, very sweet, and dark purple in color. It dries and hal cgs on the tree all winter, to the great satisfaction of birds. The hacicberry loves the river banks and moist, deep woods.
It ranges from Maine to Minnesota and southward. • Another species, Catis ..1fississirpiensis, a small tree with entire and very tapering thin leaves and small fruit, is found from Illinois south.
The wood of this species is paler and not so coarse-grained as is that of the common hackberry.