235 year old elm tree to be cut down

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Sad to see such a magnificent tree lose a battle with Dutch Elm disease. The last part of the article is heartening, though - they have plans for woodworkers to make use of the wood...

http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2009/12/27/when_this_tree_falls_he_will_feel_it/

[Myk Rian]

We've lost 15 elms to disease. 2 of them were the shade trees for the house.
It's good that it will be saved as projects.

[Jim Becker]

Most of the magnificent elm trees that have been a fixture on Penn State's main campus in State College, PA, have succumbed to the disease. It will take many, many years for the replacement trees to assume the same stately presence.

[Neal Clayton]

my house had two oaks, one of which i lost to lightning a couple of years ago. losing that tree was kinda like losing a pet, honestly.

especially with all of the work that goes into restoring and maintaining the building. that tree had seen all of it for the past century. was a shame to have to cut it down.

on the bright side, his brother is still there in the front yard strong as ever (much stronger than my driveway, for instance, which the roots are tearing up bit by bit, heh).

a picture from the year they were planted when the original owners of the house moved in around 1908...

[scott spencer]

Sad to see them go, but grain of elm can be spectacular.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/01/herbie_the_belo.html

"Herbie", as the tree was known, was finally cut down.

[Ken Ferrell]

John, we are loosing thousands of Pine trees due to a Pine Borer, in South West Tennessee, two years ago I had to have a huge Red Oak cut down lord only knows how many times it had been hit with lightning it was over 5 ft diameter, the guy that felled it figured it was between 150 and 200 years old. I loved that tree.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Ken - large portions of MA are infested with the Asian Longhorned Beetle, and tens of thousands of trees (mostly hardwood) need to be cut down and destroyed. There is also a ban on moving any of the wood (be it firewood or other types) out of the affected area. Really sucks. There are no natural predators of the ALHB around here....

[Donny Lawson]

I have noticed alot of Red Oak trees here in GA. has been dying in the past year.One huge one next to me and one accross the street from me.There must be something going on with them.
Donny

[Shawn Christ]

John, this was quite the story; thanks for posting (and the follow-up).