ELLWOOD, Thomas, English Quaker: b. Crowell, near Thame, Oxfordshire, 1639; d. Amersham, 1 March 1714. About 1660 he was induced to join the Society of Friends, and sub sequently became reader to Milton, with whom he improved himself in the learned languages, but was soon obliged to quit London on account of his health. In the year 1665 he p'Pocured a lodging for Milton at Chalfont, Bucks, and was the occasion of his writing Regained' by the following observation made on rereading the Lost' which the poet had lent him to read in manuscript: gThou hast said much of paradise lost, but what hast thou to say of paradise found?" In 1705 he pub lished the first part of History, or the Historical Parts of the Old Testament' ; and in 1709 History, etc., of the New Testa ment.' His other works are numerous; among them the Life of David, King of Israel,' a poem, which is more distinguished for piety than poetry. His life, written by him self, and published the year after his death, affords many interesting particulars of the history of his sect.
ELM, I/1mm, a genus of trees and a few shrubs 'of the family Ulmacea. The species, of which about 20 are known, are natives of the North Temperate zone and the southern portions of the Arctic zone. Their southern limits seem to be the Himalayas in Asia and the mountains of southern Mexico. None are natives of the Pacific slope of North America. They are characterized by short-petioled, alter nate, rough, usually deciduous leaves with ser rate edges ; axillary racemes of perfect, apetalous flowers which appear in early spring before or with the leaves; and compressed, winged, dry fruits. Many of the species are of wide economic importance. Their hard, heavy, tough, pliable wood is largely used in the manu facture of barrels, agricultural implements, boats, wagon wheels, buildings, etc., and for fuel. The inner bark of some species furnishes an article of food, and that of others a tough bast fibre used for cordage and cloth making. The outer bark of some is used in dyeing and sugar refining. Various parts of several species were formerly popular remedies employed in medicine, but except in domestic and local prac tice are rarely prescribed. Most of the species are highly valued as ornamental trees in street and park planting, those specially popular being the straight-trunked, tall-growing, vase-formed species, which quicldy over-arch the streets and cast an abundant shade. Many cultivated varie
ties of fantastic form, color of foliage, or habit of growth are also planted as curiosities.
The best-laiown American species is the white, water, or American elm (U. americana), which grows in rich moist woods, especially on the shores of streams, from Newfoundland to Florida and westward to the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. It is a tall tree, often at taining a height of 120 feet when growing in the forest, and with a wide-spreading, less lofty top when growing in the open, where it may be seen in several different forms, popularly known as vase, plume, oalc-tree, etc., according to the arrangement of the branches. Some specimens of each one develop numerous twiggy growths upon the trunk and main branches, which are thus rendered very attractive because of their feathery appearance. The most common form is the vase, in which the main branches develop at about 20 feet or more, and at their bases gradually, and toward their extremities widely diverge. This is probably the most popular street form in America. Another well-lcnown American species is the slippery or red elm (U. fulva), which attains a height of 70 feet in rich soils and is found from Quebec to Florida and westward to Texas and the Da kotas. It is called red because the bud scales are reddish and conspicuous when unfoldi..g in spring; and it is called slippery because of its mucilaginous inner bark. Its wood is less val ued than that of the English elm, but more than that of the white elm. The cork or rock elm (U. racemosa), which grows on river banks from New England to Nebraska and as far south as Kentucky and Tennessee, attains a height of 100 feet and is noted for the corky developments resembling wings on the smaller branches. Its wood is specially valued for its great durability, strength, pliability and tough ness. Another species with corlcy, winzed branches is the wahoo or winged elm U. alata), which ranges from Virginia to Florida and westward to Texas and Illinois. It rarely exceeds 70 feet in height, is very attractive in habit, and is planted for ornament in the South, but not in the North, as it is not sufficiently hardy for the rigors of winter.