Show TT K K historic trees threatened for years now I 1 have walked back and forth to my labors under a gothic root roof of green formed by the interlacing elm branches which since civil war days have made my street one of the worlds most beautiful avenues today there are some rude gaps in the raftered cell ceiling where huge branches have been ripped may avay by the wind and storm but now there is a threat of greater devastation for our and other elm trees ancient and historical or merely beautiful for the dreaded dutch elm disease has descended upon america Americ two cases of virulent infection have been discovered within n the district of columbia alone and no cure is known my generation found nothing exotic in the idea of the lie village smithy under the spreading chestnut tree today the smith have a tough job finding a chestnut tree under which to build his smithy even if you could find the smith for thanks to the infamous chestnut blight a horse chestnut tree in this country is now almost as rare as a horse must the elms go eo that way I 1 talked this question over with a member of the american forestry products industries inc a private industrial association he said A recent house action reduced the federal appropriation for the control and research of the european beetle and dutch elm disease to it if the cut Is approved by the senate it means the end of the dutch elm disease laboratory in morristown N J where the department of agricultures agri cultures bureau of entomology and plant quarantine has conducted extensive research into the control and possible prevention of the insect and fun fungus gus an elm according to official shade classification is a prized shade tree in the northeastern and central united umed states but passing over its esthetic value consider that its wood Is used tor for variety of purposes looses espell especially ally slack cooperage market and bushel baskets tor for heavy crating and tor for veneers venters ve but what does an economan lac tac care for all that consider the white house grounds tor for instance in these quiet IS 18 acres there are something less than trees comprising some 80 90 species the two great magnolias planted close to the rear portico were placed there by andrew jackson nearly every president planted a tree there is the benjamin harrlson harrison oak the raiding harding beech the coolidge birch several species set out under hoover maples predominate but the elms are next and many have historic memories just southeast of the south portico Is an elm said to have been planted by john quincy adams there are others planted by lincoln and mckinley under these trees history lives but for beauty nothing surpasses the high arched cloister abick in summer stark but graceful in silhouetted line in winter which roofs my avenue U A wilting and partly defoliated 30 foot american elm severely affected with dutch elm disease |