2. Ulmus americàna Linnæus. White Elm. [Plate 58.] Large trees; bark deeply fissured, gray, the ridges showing white streaks between the layers; twigs more or less hairy at first and usually becoming glabrous by the end of the season; buds ovate, acute and glabrous; leaves ovate, oval or obovate, average blades 8-12 cm. long, hairy on both sides on expanding, becoming at maturity glabrous above and smooth or rough, sometimes very rough on vigorous young shoots, remaining pubescent beneath, rarely glabrous; fruit ripening before or as the leaves unfold, generally oval in shape, about 1 cm. long, both surfaces glabrous, margins about as wide as the seed and fringed with hairs; wood hard, tough, flexible, generally hard to split, warps badly in seasoning.
Distribution.—Quebec to Florida, west to Texas and Nebraska. Found throughout Indiana, and doubtless in every county. It is frequent to common or very common on the flood plains of streams, in wet woods and in low ground generally.
Remarks.—This species is also called water elm, swamp elm, gray elm, bitter elm, sour elm and in southwestern counties it is often called red elm. In Perry County it is often called hub elm. It is generally known as "elm" and when this term is used, it refers to this species. The wood has a very wide range of uses. The greatest amount has been used for hoops, staves and heading. Large quantities have been used in the manufacture of agricultural implements, hubs, furniture, basket handles, etc. White elm is usually considered very difficult to split, but I was informed by a pioneer timber cutter that the heart wood of the veterans of the forest splits as well as oak, and that he worked many a tree up into staves. He told me that he made into staves a tree in Paulding County, Ohio, that was eight feet in diameter at the stump. There is little attempt being made by woodlot owners to propagate this tree. However, the natural propagation of the species is probably greater than any other species because it produces seed at an early age, and culls of the forest are not cut because they are not good for fuel which leaves them to produce seed. Then the seed are light, and are scattered to great distances by the wind and water. It is propagated very easily from seedlings.
The tree when grown in the open has a tendency to be bushy and unless it is given some pruning will have a very short clear trunk. It has always been regarded as one of the best species for shade tree planting. For beauty of form it is not excelled by any tree for shade or ornamental planting. However, it has several insect enemies that require spraying to keep them under control.
ULMUS AMERICANA Linnæus. White Elm. (× 1/2.)
3. Ulmus Thomási Sargent. Hickory Elm. Rock Elm. [Plate 59.] Large trees; bark deeply fissured and grayish like the bark of the white elm; twigs light brown, generally densely hairy and remaining more or less pubescent until the end of the season or later, the twigs of some specimens are glabrous or only slightly hairy at first and soon become glabrous and somewhat glaucous, after the first year some of the branchlets begin to develop 1-4 corky ridges from a few millimeters to 5 or 6 mm. in thickness, the ridges are wide and rounded at the top, dark gray, brown and discontinuous, rarely a corky ridge will appear on a branchlet the first year; leaves oval or obovate, average blades 8-15 cm. long, at maturity glabrous and smooth or rough to very rough above, permanently pubescent beneath especially on the veins; fruit ripens late in May or early in June when the leaves are from 1/2 to 2/3 grown; samara oval, usually 1.5-2 cm. long, oblique at the base, with a beak 2-5 mm. long at the apex, both faces pubescent, wing about as wide as the seed; wood hard heavy, strong, flexible, uses the same as white elm.