Deepening:
The elm yesterday and today
A bit of history…
Roman traditions gave the elm oracolar powers. Furthermore,
since the most remote times, leaves, twigs and bark of the elme were used to
heal injuries.
Its uses were a lotin the ancient medicine: it
seems indeed that it was useful for every kind of cutaneous diseases, burns and
also to cure the leprosy thank to the inner properties of the bark. The elm was
also used as support for the grapevines: the tree was buried in order to give
more sun to the grapes the grew around the log. Also Columella, Latin author of
De Re Rustica, explains how the elmwas the most suitable tree to support the
vine:
pabulum bubus affert, variisque generibus soli provenit,
a plerisque praefertur.
The elm is preferred nearly by all,
because it bears very good the vine,
it comes in areas of good nature and gives
the best food to the oxes.
De re rustica V, 6,5
The elm today is used as ornamental plant for
its good look and for its pollution resistance.its leaves contain tannins that
color the fibres with yellow. The elm's wood, of good quality, is easily to
work with and resists against the water: for this reason it is used to build
pieces of furniture, doors, floors, and for the production of plywood. It isn't
a good combustible.
