Evening star., 1934-05-10
FOREIGN DISEASE
MENAC|NG ELMS
Immediate Steps Necessary
to Prevent Tree Going
Way of Chestnut.

The elm, glorified tree of the
American landscape, is facing possible
extinction. Unless immediate steps
are taken to wipe out the destructive
Dutch elm disease, already discovered
in five States, this great tree of the
Pilgrims is destined to &C the way
Of the chestnut.
So writes Joseph Edgar Chamberlin,
eminent Boston journalist, in the May
issue of American Forests, the maga-
zine of the American Forestry Asso-
citation. The disease has already peen
found in New York, New Jersey, Con-
necticut, Maryland and Ohio.
Like Chestnut Blight.
"1ncipient and scattered though its
attack is" writes Mr.. Chamberlin,
the disease potentially is as destruc-
tive to the elm as the blight was to
the chestnut. Its invasion must be
stopped promptly and while it is pos
sible to stop it or the American elm
will 60 the way of the chestnut"
The potential seriousness of the
foothold the disease has gained on
American soil is partly recognized by
Congress. said Mr. Chamberlin, who
pointed out that S15O,OOO has been
appropriated for control work and
S500G0 for research work. This sum.
however, he warned, is only one
fourth the amount needed immedi-
ately to stop the spread of the dis
ease. There can be no penny pinch
ing in dealing with the disease in its
incipient state" he wrote. BY such
policy the elms of the Nation may
be lost, as we're the chestnuts, and
the cost increased MANIFOLD"
The disease was first discovered in
America in 1880. in Cleveland and
Cincinnati. he said In 1888 it was
found in New Jersey and New York,
and later in Connecticut and Mary
land. Around New York City alone
more than 1900 trees were found
affected
Some idea of the way the disease
strikes at the elm trees may be gath
cred from Holland. In Rotterdam
there were something like 10000 elm
trees" Mr.. Chamberlin writes, "and
in II years 1900 have been killed
by the disease In Nuremberg more
than 10000 trees have been de-
stroyed
Elm Comes First.
OF all American trees worth saw
Ing, the elm comes first. said Mr.
Chamoerlin. Even the soil in which
1t has sunk its roots is sacred earth
to millions of men and women, boys
and girls. 1t was one of the first
trees to attract the eyes Of the origi-
nal settlers on our shores 1t well
coined them from the woods, from the
river meadows and from the open
spaces. They planted it to commem-
crate their arrival in a new land
their migrations. their marriages, the
births of their children. And it grew
in luxurious sympathy and signifl-
canoe with their lives and became
associated with the history of each
family"
Throughout New England, said Mr..
Chamberlin, great old elms have car
ried on the tradition of men and
events. He points to the great "Bos-
ton Elm which stood near the CEN
ter Of the Common for hundreds of
years-the one tree spared by the
early settlers when they swept away
the forest that occupied the site. A
more famous tree, he records, was the
elm at Cambridge, under which Gen.
Washington took command of the
American Revolutionary Army in
1775; there were trees closely asso-
ciated with Emerson, Hawthorne and
Thoreau, some of which are still
n " on
Shock Troops Needed.
For effective warfare against the
Dutch elm disease our men of
science-plant pathologists and for
esters-men under the authority of
the United States Government, the
State forestry and conservation de-
partments and the State and Federal
experiment stations, must be our
shock troops. They are already on
the battle line, specializing in knowl-
edge of the disease and methods of
controlling and eradicating it.
The public must be the soldiers
behind the lines upholding the ef-
forts Of the specialists in fighting the
disease. We must exercise eternal
vigilance for symptoms of the dis
ease, which are well deflned-sudden
whiting of the leaves, of the crown,
of the side branches, often of the
entire tree-ard report them promptly
to the nearest forest officer or ex-
pertinent station. But greatest of
we must insist on adequate Federal
and State appropriations to enable
our specialists to make an effective
stand when the disease is scattered
nr else il NAV be too late