Well Mike, the Chinese have never had anything worth while, but the Chinese Elm do thrive in an arid climate! Sadly I would rather burn them than Cottonwood which was about the only other option. We lost all the American Elm, or Red Elm as some call it, to what I always heard as Dutch Elm disease. That stuff burned extremely well and was easy to split.
I have always wondered at my parents for burning wood. Dad lost his right hand shortly before we started burning wood as the only source of heat in a rather drafty Montgomery Wards house.
I suppose having 3 boys age 10 and under may have had something to do with it.
The 10 year old always acted like he was 30. Now he’s 60 and thinks he should be able to do what a 30 year old does. Sadly that doesn’t work.