Disease Destroys Yard Trees

Two trees, both victims of Dutch Elm disease, were removed from Harvard Yard last month, leaving arboreal gaps that University officials say may take years to fill.

Both elms, one near the pump in the Yard's center and the other in front of Holworthy Hall, were about 80 years old, according to Bernard K. Keohan, manager of grounds in the Facilities Maintenance Department.

Elm disease has been an ongoing problems in Harvard Yard, said Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57. When the disease came to the country earlier this century, it wiped out a significant portion of New England's flourishing elm populations, Jewett said.

"It's sort of a losing battle over time," Jewett said.

About 40 percent of the Yard's trees have Dutch Elm disease, although many are in remission, Keohan said.

Over the last 10 years, 10 to 12 trees have been removed from University land, including one from the Yard last year, Keohan said. This spring, a committee of Faculty of Arts and Science administrators, Graduate School of Design faculty and Arnold Arboretum workers began planning replacement landscaping.

Within the next five years, officials hope to fill the empty spaces with similarly tall trees of different species, Keohan said.

"You want to stay with the same look the Yard has," Keohan said. "The canopy of the branches are all up high."

To purchase and plant each tree will cost the University about $4000, Keohan said.

The University has made efforts to keep the Yard's elm trees alive, Keohan said. DDT, the pesticide once used in the Yard, yielded better results than Methoxachlor, the current choice.

DDT was outlawed across the United States because of the extensive environmental damage it causes.

Jewett said the College will try to preserve the Yard trees as long as it can. "We're certainly not taking them down unless there's no way to keep them," he said.

But if a dying tree were to remain in the Yard, insects would spread the disease to nearby plants, Keohan said. "These are probably the only measures wecan take that stop the disease from spreading," hesaid.

Orchard Professor in the History of LandscapeDevelopment John R. Stilgoe predicts that in thecoming years, many of Harvard's familiar treeswill succumb to the blight.

"It's going to change the appearance of theUniversity in an extraordinary way," he said.

Last month, six elms on the Law School campuswere also removed, not for health reasons but toclear a building site.

The elms, which stood next to Langdell Hallwere cut down shortly after presiding overCommencement

Orchard Professor in the History of LandscapeDevelopment John R. Stilgoe predicts that in thecoming years, many of Harvard's familiar treeswill succumb to the blight.

"It's going to change the appearance of theUniversity in an extraordinary way," he said.

Last month, six elms on the Law School campuswere also removed, not for health reasons but toclear a building site.

The elms, which stood next to Langdell Hallwere cut down shortly after presiding overCommencement