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4o8 The Book of Woodcraft It is coarse, heavy; fairly good firewood, but sparks badly. A cubic foot weighs 41 lbs. Soon rots near the ground. Leaves 2 to 5 inches long. Flowers in early spring before leafing. Seeds ripe in May. Common in most parks. Slippery Elm, Moose or Red Elm. {JJlmus fulva) Smaller than White Elm, maximum height about 70 feet. Wood dark, reddish; hard, close, tough, strong; durable next the ground; heavy; a cubic foot weighs 43 lbs. Its leaves are larger and rougher than those of the former. Four to 8 inches long, and its buds are hairy, not smooth. The seeds ripen in early spring when the leaves are half grown ; they were a favorite spring food of the Passenger Pigeon. Chiefly noted for its mucilaginous buds, inner bark and seeds, which are eaten or in decoction used as a cough-remedy. This is a valuable specific in all sorts of membranous irritation: for the hard cough or bowel trouble, drink it; for sores apply it in poultice form. It can never do harm and always does some good. The inner bark of this Elm contains a great quantity of mucilage, and is a favorite popular prescription, in many parts of the country, for dysentery and affections of the chest. "It is much to be regretted that the Slippery Elm has become so rare. The inner bark is one of the best applications known for affections of the throat and lungs. Flour prepared from the bark by drying perfectly and grinding, and mixed with milk, like arrow-root, is a wholesome and nutritious food for infants and invalids." {Emerson.)