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ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART ill.

long bows were in use, there were very many made of the wood of this tree;for which purpose, it is mentioned in the English statutes by this name ofwitch hasell.” ( Ger. Emac., p. 1480.)

It is only within the present century that this tree has been much plantedin England, though in Scotland and Ireland its timber has long been consi-dered as next in value to that of the oak; and it has, accordingly, been exten-sively introduced into artificial plantations. It is very remarkable that thisspecies seems to be altogether unknown in France and Germany ; neitherbeing mentioned in the Nouveau Du Hamel, the Nouveau Cours d’ Agriculture, theHictionnaire des Eaux et Forets , the Flore Franpaise, nor even in Willdenow ’sBaumzucht, as far as we have seen in the Continental nurserymen’s cata-logues, and with the exception of that of Booth of Hamburgh ; though, by theAmerican catalogues, it appears to have been introduced into that country.It may possibly, however, be known on the Continent as a variety of U.campestris, that species being given as synonymous with it in Smith ’s English Flora, on the authority of several authors. Indeed some botanists are ofopinion that the U. campestris of Linnaeus is the U. montana of modernbotanists. Among the trees of France tTlmus montana Bauh. is included,but this, Mirbel, in his Nouveau Du Hamel, makes synonymous with the Dutchelm ( U. major), and with U. eS'asa Willd. Sir J. E. Smith , however, con-siders Bauhin ’s figure as representing U. montana, and as the U. montanacebennensis is a native of the south of France , we may safely assume thespecies as being indigenous throughout Europe generally, though not underour name of U. montana.

Properties and Uses. The wych elm, according to Gerard, was applied tovarious uses in ancient times. It was not only made into bows, but its bark,which is so tough that it will strip or peel off from the wood from one end ofa bough to the other without breaking, was made into ropes. The wood wasnot considered so good for naves as the wood of the common elm, which then, asnow, was esteemed superior in toughness and strength, though the wood of thewych elm cleaved better. In Scotland , where the tree abounds, both naturallyand in artificial plantations, it weighs less than the wood of the English elm,and is more coarse-grained. Nevertheless, Sang observes, “it is always prizednext to the wood of the oak.” “It is used,” he adds, “by the ship-builder,the boat-builder, the block and pump maker, the cartwright, the cabinet-maker, artd the coachmaker.” The timber, Matthews observes, has muchsap-wood, and great longitudinal toughness; but, from the great quantity ofsap-wood, and want of lateral adhesion, it splits considerably when dry. Thetree has a peculiar fan-like spread of the branches, often tending to one side,and most perceptible in young trees. Hence the tree, when grown up, “ hasgenerally a slight bending in the stem, which renders it very fitting for floor-timbers of vessels; the only part of a ship, except the bottom plank, towhich it is applicable, as it soon decays above water. Its great toughness andstrength, however, render it fit for floors.” (On Naval Timber, &c., p. 52.)

“ The tree,” Matthews continues, “ when come to some size, on the primarybranches being lopped off, like the common elm and the oak, often throws outa brush of twigs from the stem ; and these twigs impeding the transit of thesap, the brush increases, and the stem thickens considerably, in consequence ota warty-like deposit of wood forming at the root of the twigs. Thisexcrescence, when of size, after being seasoned in some cool moist place,such as the north reentering angle of a building exposed to the drippingfrom the roof, forms a richer veneer for cabinet-work than any other timber.(Ibid., p. 53.) But, even without this process, the wood has often a curiouslaced appearance, which renders it fit for beautiful cabinet-work. A writer inthe Gardener’s Magazine (Mr. Ashworth of Prestwich, near Manchester,)states the timber of the Scotch elm to be nearly equal in value to (bat otthe ash. “ It is good,” he says, “ for the naves, poles, and shafts of gigs a ®“other carriages; and, from its not splintering, as the oak and the ash do, mtime of battle, for swingle-trees of great gun carriages. It is also used for