HORTICULTURE 
America’s Oldest Garden Magazine 
A New Elm 
HE Dutch elm disease has been known 
in the Eastern states since about 19235, 
while phloem necrosis has attacked the elms 
of the Midwest since 1938. Several gov- 
ernment and professional publications have 
influenced tree buyers since those times to 
avoid the planting of elm trees. 
In 1946, the Augustine Ascending Elm 
Research Association was formed in Chi- 
cago to propagate and distribute a new type 
of elm — the Augustine Ascending Elm. 
With professional opinion about elm trees 
as it was, the venture to many seemed to 
be a very foolhardy one. However, 
Americans’ partiality for the elm tree has 
since then vindicated the Association 
members’ judgment, for today this new elm 
is found in more than 170 communities in 
the United States, and some cities, such as 
Baltimore, have as many as 800 specimens. 
More than 10,000 Augustine Ascending 
Elms have been shipped since the Asso- 
ciation’s inception just seven years ago. 
What accounts for this remarkable develop- 
ment during years in which thousands of 
elms were dying? 
During the year 1937, Archie Augustine, 
one of the founders and president of the 
Illinois State Nurserymen’s Association, 
also a former president of the American 
Association of Nurserymen, discovered a 
17-year-old fastigiate elm tree in Normal, 
Illinois. Mr. Augustine had long believed 
that elms, being such ready cross-breeders, 
one day would be propagated in large 
numbers only by grafting in order to 
secure uniform trees for controlled plant- 
ing. He was immediately struck by the 
majestic appearance of this tree, and 
realized after close inspection that it was 
the elm he had been looking for. He cut 
some scion wood, and in his research nur- 
sery began to propagate it by grafts on 
American elm roots. The propagation 
has been taken over by the Association. 
The identification of the tree was ac- 
complished by a chromosome count per- 
formed by Dr. J. M. Beal, Chairman of the 
Department of Botany at the University of 
Chicago. His cytological studies sup- 
ported botanical descriptions furnished by 
the U.S, Forestry Service and established 
the new elm as a tetraploid mutation of 
American elm. It- differs most strikingly 
from the typical American elm in its fasti- 
giate form. The lateral branches of the 
young tree are approximately of the same 
development and size from tip to base. 
The older tree develops roughly parallel, 
wall-like sides to form a stately, upright 
column of foliage, in marked contrast to 
the vase, or fountain shape, of the Ameri- 
can elm. The Augustine Ascending Elm 
shows a more vigorous growth, stouter 
twigs and larger, more deeply-toothed 
leaves than the American elm. It bears 
no seed, has neat and compact root habits, 
a strong anchorage and sturdy trunk. 
Dr. J. C. Carter, Chief Pathologist of 
the Illinois Natural History Survey, has 
succeeded in getting grafts from trees 
diseased with phloem necrosis to ‘‘take’’ 
on young potted Augustine Ascending 
Elms, and the trees to continue alive. Dr. 
Roger Swingle, Senior Pathologist of the 
U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry, reported 
to the association that “the Augustine 
Ascending Elm is susceptible to Dutch elm 
disease.’ But experiments similar to those 
of Dr. Swingle’s are being performed using 
grafts from stricken elm. 
For further information about this new 
elm tree, members should write to the 
Augustine Ascending Elm Research Asso- 
ciation, 932 East 50th St., Chicago 15, Ill. 
Joun C. Weston, JR., 
Chicago, Illinois. 
