WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THE ELMS 
IN ILLINOIS? 
By STEPHEN A. FORBES, state entomologist 
(Plates I to VI, and Figures 1 to 4) 
The American white elm is doubtless the favorite shade tree 
thruout Illinois. It is especially valued for its broad and ample 
shade, its fairly rapid growth, its usual freedom from offensive in¬ 
sects, and its stout resistance to injury by wind storms and sleet; 
and it is, universally admired, also, for its majestic yet graceful 
form, its picturesque profile, and the irregular, cloudlike masses 
of its foliage. It is particularly well adapted to streets, boule¬ 
vards, and park drives; and an avenue of giant elms whose lateral 
branches arch broadly upwards to meet and mingle overhead is 
one of the noblest products of the landscape gardener’s art. 
Description oe the Difeicuety 
I especially regret, therefore, to have to call general attention 
to a fatal affection of this tree now prevailing over a large part of 
southern Illinois, similar to, and apparently identical with, one 
which destroyed many elms in the central part of the state some 
thirty years ago. The character, extent, and cause of this destruc¬ 
tion are such as to make it plain either that the elm must receive 
much more intelligent and assiduous care and treatment than it has 
heretofore had in this state, or that it must yield its place to some 
tree more hardy under conditions which it has itself failed to sup¬ 
port. 
The elm disease (if such it may be called) now prevalent, is 
first noticed from early summer to autumn—the leaves, first on 
the terminal twigs and later on the larger branches, ceasing their 
growth, turning brown, and finally falling. (See Plates I to IV.) 
This loss is presently followed by the death of the branches them¬ 
selves, as is shown the following spring when the rest of the tree 
leaves out. Usually the higher branches are first affected, but the 
whole top soon seems to blight, and in a year or two the tree is 
dead. Sometimes this process is greatly shortened, and scores of 
