ULMUS, the ELM; a genus of the digyna order, belonging to the pentandria class of plants. There are six species; of which the most remarkable are, 1. The campelris, or common rough broad-leaved witch elm, is very common in the north-west counties of England, where it is generally believed to grow naturally in the woods; this grows to a very large size. The bark of the young branches is smooth and very tough, but that of the old trees cracks and is rough. The leaves are rough, and are doubly sawed on their edges. Their base is unequal, standing on short foot-stalks. The flowers come out in March upon slender twigs in clusters, of a deep red colour; and are succeeded by oval bordered capsules, containing one roundish compressed seed, which ripens in May. The wood of this tree is very good for all the purposes of any kind of elm, and the trees grow to a very large size; but as the leaves do not come out till late in the spring, there are few persons who plant these trees for ornament. 2. The leuber, or witch-hazel, grows naturally in some of the northern counties in England, where it has its name from the resemblance of the young shoots and leaves to those of hazel. This grows to a tree of great magnitude. The bark of the young shoots is very smooth and tough; it is of a yellowish brown colour, with spots of white. The flowers grow in clusters toward the end of the twigs; they have long leafy empalements, of a green colour, appearing in the spring before their leaves, and the seeds ripen the latter end of May. The wood of this tree is not so good for use as that of the first sort. Formerly, when long bows were in use, many of them were made of the boughs of this tree. 3. The sativa, improperly called English elm, is not a native of England,
land, and is only found in plantations where the young trees were procured from the neighbourhood of London. Where this tree grows naturally, is not easy to determine; some persons have supposed it was brought from Germany. As this tree is well known, it requires no description. The flowers are of a purplish red colour, and generally appear the beginning of March, but Mr Miller says he could never observe any seed from this sort. 4. The glaber, or smooth-leaved witch-elm, is very common in several parts of Hertfordshire, Essex, and other north-east counties of England; this grows to a large tree, and is much esteemed. The branches spread out like those of the first sort. The leaves are sharply sawed on their edges; they are smoother than most of the other sorts: they do not appear till the middle or latter end of May, so the trees are seldom planted for ornament. 5. The minor, or upright elm, is found growing in hedge-rows in several parts of England. The branches of this sort have a smooth grayish bark, and grow erect. The leaves are narrow, and more pointed than those of the English elm, and are smoother; they are later in coming out in the spring than those, but continue longer in autumn; this has been by some called the Irish elm.
All the sorts of elm may be either propagated by layers or suckers taken from the roots of the old trees, the latter of which is generally practised by the nursery-gardeners: but as these are often cut up with indifferent roots, they often miscarry, and render the success doubtful; whereas those which are propagated by layers are in no hazard, and always make better roots and come on faster than the other, and do not send out suckers from their roots in such plenty, for which reason this method should be more universally practised.