Evening star., 1937-05-15
ELMS MENACED
BYDUTCH DISEASE
Expert Tells How MaIady
May Be Diagnosed and
Treated,

Advice to home owners regarding
Dutch elm disease was furnished to-
day by Paul Davey, tree expert.
Davey's statement is as follows:
Dutch elm disease is a malady new
to this country and, as far as is yet
known, one for which there Is no
cure. A tree which develops it must be
destroyed. Some have thought and
said that there is danger of wholesale
loss of the country's ehns. Recent
events have indicated, however, that
the vigorous measures undertaken by
Federal authorities have stopped
rapid spread of the disease. If tree
owners and lovers will now keep
vigilant watch and promptly report
any suspected tree it seems fair to
believe there need be no great
destruction.
Spring and early Summer months
offer good opportunity to watch for
symptoms. Usually the first sign is
a sudden willing of the leaves This
may be On one branch, on more than
one or on the whole top Sometimes
the leaves dry and drop off, some
times they remain green and hang
wilted from the branches. The rea-
son that the early growing season is
favorable for the detection of the dis
ease is that there are not then so
many other possible causes of willing.
MaIady Like Blood Poisoning.
"The Dutch elm disease might be
Nkened to blood poisoning in human
being. If you cut the sapwood of
branches on which the whiting has
been observed, definite evidence of
infection will be brownish discolor-
alton in the sapwood. If the infected
branch is cut square across it will be
seen that this brownish discoloration
is almost circular in outline. although
1t may not form a closed ring.
The disease is believed to be car
ried by several species of elm bark
BEETLES. These beetles feed in the
twig crotches of the elm Then they
bore through the bark to lay their
eggs and the newly Matched larvae
eat out into the bark and the sapwood
while they are developing into adult
beetles. In the adult stage they
emerge to start the life cycle all over
again. Naturally if such beetles are
Matched and develop in an infected
tree they will carry the infection to
other trees on which they feed
If you suspect an elm of having
the Dutch elm disease send some of
the Wilted leaves and sections of the
branch on which they hung to the
United States Bureau of Entomology
and Plant Quarantine at Bloomfield,
N. j., Immediately. or show them to
a tree specialist and he will send them
on If he thinks there is any likelihood
OF the disease being present The
disease may be spread by cutting
tools, so it will be safer to have the
samples cut by some one who knows
how to diSlnfeCt tools. If the presence
OF the disease is established the tree
will have to be destroyed by fire,
taking care to burn all the leaves,
pWleo dllo Odl n llldG CdLlb from Ll1e
tree.
Partial TO Weak Trees.
I'm the meantime remember that the
elm bark beetle, like most other tree
pests, is always partial to a weakened
or sickly tree. Thorough pruning Of
all dead branches, sealing of all
wounds, spraying, feeding and water
ing will make an elm as resistant to
the disease as possible. The pruning,
feeding and watering will make the
tree strong and healthy and the spray
ing, if consistently done, will poison
some Of the elm bark BEETLES while
they are still feeding and before they
bore in to lay their eggs.
DO not destroy a tree without
getting the diagnosis of the Federal
authorities. Most of the symptoms
OF Dutch elm disease are similar to
conditions which may result from
other causes. You cannot act too
promptly once you are sure your elm
has the disease, but do not act until
then or you may needlessly destroy
fine tree"