[Magdalen] Nature goes tee hee

[Grace Cangialosi]

Jim, I don't think *anyone* has elms anymore, thanks to Dutch Elm Disease. These trees used to line many residential streets--notice how so many towns have an Elm Street?--but they were wiped out. 

> On Nov 20, 2014, at 4:07 PM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I do not think I have any elms, but thanks anyway.
> 
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better
> for people coming behind you, and you don’t do it, you're wasting your time
> on this Earth.”  -- *Roberto Clemente
> 
> On Thu, Nov 20, 2014 at 2:48 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
> magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> 
>> In a message dated 11/20/2014 12:55:07 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>> oppenheimerjw at gmail.com writes:
>> 
>> I get  out as a form of exercise and blow leaves. It is a wonderful
>> activity
>> to  make one feel you have accomplished something. Our leaves come down  in
>> stages, and it is simpler to blow them off periodically, rather  than
>> waiting for everything to be done, and have an immovable mass to deal
>> with.
>> So I have cleared my yard a couple of times  already.>>>>
>> 
>> The American Elm, once over-dominant and indispensable in landscaping  of
>> much of North American, but now completely gone secondary to the  advent
>> of Dutch Elm Disease imported from Europe, was a wonderful tree in so
>> very many ways.  In particular, the leaves turned a lovely yellow, and
>> fell
>> all at once.  They dried quickly, and were easily removed by raking or  by
>> blowers.  The species was easy to transplant, grew quickly, and  attained
>> very
>> large size and substantial age.  The spring color was a delicate  green.
>> They
>> did have copious seeds in June, usually, but they seldom needed much
>> cleanup.
>> 
>> Many of the landscaping trees used instead of elms these days have
>> the disadvantage of dropping leaves more gradually requiring multiple
>> cleanups, and their leaves (particularly the oaks) are tough and I think
>> more
>> difficult to dispose of.  I've had to remove leaves - Red Maple and  oak
>> primarily -
>> three times the past two weeks.
>> 
>> David Strang.
>> 
>> 
>>