The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1895-01-16
NOTABLE NEW ENGLAND ELMs.
The Pride of Many Villages as They Well
Deserve to BE.

The Pride of Many villages as They Well
Deserve to BE.
The elms of New England have al
ways been famous, both for their size
and beauty, and there is hardly town
or village, however small, that does
not possess a goodly number of these
grand old trees. 1t is eminently fitting
that to Wethersfeld, which, next to
Windsor, is the earliest settlement in
Connecticut, should belong the honor
of possessing the oldest as well as the
largest elm in the state. More than
that, those who profess to be familiar
with New England's big trees say that
the Wethersfield elm is the largest east
of the Rocky mountains. 1t is grand
old tree. and, in its rugged and sturdy
appearance, fit rival of the mighty
oak. The huge branches shoot
out from the trunk at q compare
lively short distance from the ground,
and each one of these branches is large
enough to make respectable tree by
itself. The circumference of the trunk
3 feet above the ground Is 32 feet and
inch. Six feet up, coming to what
might be called the waist of the tree,
the circumference is 26 feet inch, and
at height of feet the circumference
attains its largest girth at SEA feet.
The circumference of the five main
branches range from IL to IS feet.
Measuring around the roots of the tree,
at point where they extend into
the ground, we have the enormous cir
Gle Of 5s]E feet. An area 464 feet in cir
cumference is covered by the vast out
spreading limbs. Until two years ago
the area was 4s7 feet, but furious ice
storm Topped off some of the outer
branches.
In Windsor, the oldest Connecticut
settlement, are several grand old elms,
and there is one which, it is claimed, is
trifie larger than the Wethersfeld
elm. But this statement has never
been conclusively proved.
The little village OF Sheffield, Mass,
possesses an elm which has been IA
nous for many years, both for its size
and the towering sweep of its branches.
Its trunk is about sixteen feet in cir
conference, and the topmost branches
rise many feet above the submits of
the other trees in the vicinity. 1t is
plainly visible at a considerable dis.
tance, and persons in that portion Of
the Berkshire hills seldom fail TO see
the famous Sheffield elm.
One Of the grandest elms in all New
England, so far as beauty and symmet.
ry of form are concerned, stands on a
fine old farm in Canaan, Conn. This is
way up in the northwestern part of the
state, very near the Massachusetts
boundary line. The locality is a lonely
one, being in the Berkshire hills, and
IL would seem as though nature, in
making ali the surrounding country so
delightful. had put forth her best en-.
ergies to produce trees which should
not only harmonic with, but add
to the universal beauty of the
landscape. This Canaan elm is
about three-quarters Of a mile from
the railroad station, and a short dis.
tance off from the road to Ashley
rams ~ N pldlhAN NlslbAtt HOWeNeEt
from the railroad train, and has
ELECTED general admiration from hun.
drcds Of travellers. King T. Sheldon,
Of winsted, has travelled nearly all
over New England and seen scores Of
beautiful trees. but he has no hesitan.
cy In saying that this Canaan elm Is
by far the handsomest, the most grace.
ful and symmetrical tree he has ever
seen. To lover Of grand trees this
elm Is worth making a special journey
TO see. In the summer its limbs,
spreading ont from the trunk. appear
lost, after ascending a few feet, in a
dense mass Of rich foliage, while the
lower branches, STOPPING down as II
to touch the earth. and gently sway.
ing IN the breeze, seem TO invite one
{" e. '!uiet and repose beneath the
svu,'r lis and refreshing shade. So
-. a. trical Is IL on all sides that the
outward contour forms almost a com.
pletc semi-circle from the ground clear
over It's summit-N. Y. Times.