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OF FOREST -TREES.

117

that, for want of being seasonably transplanted, must needs have chap.hindered the procerity of their ample and indulgent mother.

2. For though both these sorts are raised of appendices or suckers, asanon we shall describe, yet this latter comes well from the samera,or seeds, and therefore I suppose it to be the ancient Atinia; for such

This is found growing in hedge-rows in several parts of England. The branches have a smoothgreyish bark, and grow erect. The leaves are narrower, and more pointed than those of theEnglish Elm , and are smoother; they are later in coming out in the spring than those, butcontinue longer in autumn.

ULMUS ( Americana ) foliis aequaliter serratis; basi inaequalibus. Sp. PI. 127. Uhrmsfructu membranaceo, foliis simplicifsime serratis. Gron. Virg. 145. The American elm.

This species grows plentifully about Fort Anne, in North-America , of which there are twokinds, the white and the red. Of the bark of the former boats are made.

The ELM is stationed in the clafs and order Pentatidria Digjatia, there being in eachflower five stamina and two styles. The flowers are in full bloom about the beginningof April, and the leaves open about the middle of the same month j but the seeds do notripen before the beginning of June.

Of this tree there are many varieties which are preserved in the nursery-gardens, buttheir difference is not remarkable enough to deserve notice; they are therefore omitted,as are also those with variegated leaves, of which there are several sorts propagatedin the nurseries about London .

Elms are propagated by layers, by seeds, and by grafting on their own kind.

In order to propagate them by layers, proper stools for the purpose must be firstobtained; to procure which, let a piece of good ground be double dug, and let Elmsof about for or five feet high be planted in it, at the distance of about ten feet: If theymake good shoots in the first year, they may be cut down early the spring following;if not, they should remain two years before they are headed for stools; which shouldbe done by cutting them down to within half a foot of the ground. After they are cutdown they thould be suffered to grow undisturbed for two years: The ground betweenthe stools must be dug in the winter, and constantly hoed as the weeds arise in thesummer; and at the end of that time, that is two years, the branches growing from thesestools will be fit for layering, which may be performed thus : Open a piece of ground wideenough to receive a whole branch, and let the hollow be about half a foot deep; thensplash the branch with a knife, near the body of the stool, that its head may be morereadily brought into the prepared place: Next, thrust an hooked stick into the groundto hold it down ; take off all the superfluous branches which crofs, and would otherwiseincommode those that are to be continued: After this, slit all the remaining youngbranches half-way through, turning the edge of the knife towards the extremity of thebranch. When this is done the mould should be gently put amongst them, and they