Morning journal and courier., 1883-09-28
NEW HAvEN's FILMS AND GREEN.
Descriptions, Historical Items aud An- ecdoteS of Persons and Things Con- Hected Herewith.
BY HENRY HOWE. Copyrighted 1888 by Henry Howel TN TWENTY FIVE CHAPTERs-CHAPTER IL.

Some Of the Famous Films Of Massnchu-
 setts-The Great Elm at Springfield,
 Measured by pr. Oliver Wendell HOlmes-The Northampton Elm PInnt-
 ed by President Edwards-The Great
 Sheffield EIm-The Hsman Day Elm at West SPr1nEheId-The Great Elm on Boston COnmOn-The Great Elm at
 Johnston, Measured by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Horace mann, and the
 Oliver WOIcstt Elm at South Windsor,
 Conn.
 Before touching upon the subject of our city elms we give some notes from Emerson s report upon some of the more famous elms of Massachusetts, published in 1846, thirty seven years ago.
 Elm, Heard's Island, near Wayland, about 75 feet high, with spread of 12s feet from northeast to southeast end, not much less in any direction. In Lincoln, beautiful, ir- regular and picturesque tree with full, broad head, growing on the roadside and giving a cheerful aspect to two houses, and on which 8 family of orioles had built their hanging nests for not less than seventeen years. We note this tree as it carries us back to boy days when the elms of our Green were enlivened by the presence of many na- tive birds of bright plumage, of which the most conspicuous were the robins hopping around upon the green grass, and the orioles, or fire hang-birds, as they were commonly called, whose brilliant bodies, like flames of fire, shone out on the pendant branches of the elms. We owe the punishment of our beautiful native birds to the miserable, pesti- lential English sparrow. We hope ere long to see measures taken for the extirpation of these ungracious foreigners. This can be done. as he, through the winter, can live only in cities, where he finds his food from the refuse of the streets
 Oliver Wendell Holmes, in 1887, measured the great elm at Springfield, and five feet from the ground made it A feet inches in circumference. An elm in King stteet, Northampton, planted by President Edwards, at four feet above the ground, the smallest place. was IS feet 10 inches in circumference, branched at seven feet and was in fine condi- tion An elm tree in West Springfield, planted by Heman Day, Jan. 8, 1775, when it was sapling carried by hand, fifty-fo years later, that is in 1929, was, twelve feet from the surface, Is feet in circumference. Then it divided into branches and shaded circle of over 300 feet. In 1845 this tree was again carefully measured and the spread of it's top in extreme diameter was 134 feet s inches and it's diameter at eleven feet was feet and inches or about 23 feet in cir conference. The great Sheffield elm, at six feet from the ground, was 16 feet inches in circuit, about 70 feet in height, and the spread of it's branches was about 50 feet each way from it's trunk.
 The great elm on Boston Common, 1t is said was planted about the year 1870 by Captain Daniel Henchman, an ancestor of Governor Hancock. On 8 map of Boston HE Il AIs ineated as large tree. In 1S44 it measured, five feet from the ground, 16 feet and 1 inch. It was then more than 175 years old; it is not now standing. The Washington elm at Cambridge, under which Whitefield preached in 1744, and where Washington is said to have first drawn his sword on taking com mand of the American army, has a slightly smaller trunk it is now standing and cannot be far from 200 years old.
 Perhaps the most extraordinary tree in luxuriRDce of growth was at Johnston, Hiaieh MT. Emerson and Hon. Horace Mann meas ured in 184O. At it's smallest place it meas ured around over 22 feet. At twelve to fif- teen feet it threw up 6 prodigious weight of branches, twelve each equal to a tree. The horizontal extent of one branch was over 69 feet. It was then 8 very old tree, and though falling into decay, clothed with rich dark foliage. Its uncommon growth was owing to it's peculiar situation. small
  vigorous limbs were stretched so as to over. shadow for many feet the little fertile glade through which it flowed. It was also near a farmers yard, the animals belonging to | which were often standing by day or lying by | night under it's branches. 1
 In Massachusetts, in the vicinity of Boston, l are some beautiful specimens of English and | Scotch elms. A fine specimen of the English | elm stands in the yard of MT. Munson's resi- l dence on Elm street, above High street, in this city, and also some on the East Haven | road, just beyond Tomlinson's bridge. The 1 foreign elnns lack the grace of the native. | In the Wolcott Genealogy is a large photo | graph of the old Wolcott elm in South Wind. sor. It's spread north and south is 102 feet | and it's altitude 103 feet. It is vigorous and | healthy. We have no tree in our city as tall | as this, but that by the African church on | Temple street, in due course to be described, | has greater spread north and south. It isl said that there is an elm in Broad street, | Wethersfeld, that is taller than the Wolcott | elm, but we have no data concerning it.