Wetwood of Elms
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STATE OF ILLINOIS DwiGHT H. Green, Governor DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION Frank G. Thompson, Director NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION Theodore H. Frison, Chief olume 23 BULLETIN Article 4 Wetwood of Elms J. CEDRIC CARTER Printed by Authority of tlic State of Illinois URBAN A, ILLINOIS August 1945 STATE OF ILLINOIS DwiGHT H. Green, Governor DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION Frank G. Thompson, Director BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION Frank G. Thompson, Chairman William Trelease, D.Sc, LL.D., Biology* Arthur Cutts Willard, D.Eng., LL.D., Ezra J. Kraus, Ph.D., D.Sc, Forestry President of the University of Illinois L. R. HowsoN, B.S.C.E., C.E., Engineering Norman L. Bowen, Ph.D., Geology Roger Adams, Ph.D., D.Sc, Chemistry NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION Urbana, Illinois Scientific and Technical Staff Theodore H. Prison, Ph.D., Chief Florence A. Nyberg, Assistant to the Chief Section of Economic Entomology Section of Aquatic Biology George Bennett, Ph.D., Limnologist G. C. Decker, Ph.D., Entomolgist W. D. F. Hansen, Ph.D., Assistant Zoologist M. D. Farrar, Ph.D., Research Entomolo- Paul G. Barnickol, M.A., Ichthyologist gist Limbach, Special Re- H. Bigger, M.S., Associate Entomologist Bruno von M.S., J. search Assistant S. C. Chandler, B.S., Southern Field Ento- mologist Research and Management James W. Apple, M.S., Northern Field Section of Game Entomologist R. E. Yeatter, Ph.D., Game Specialist B. G. Berger, M.A., Assistant Entomologist Wildlife Experimental Areas John M. Wright, B.A., Assistant Ento- Section of mologist (on leave) Arthur S. Hawkins, M.S., Game Tech- H. B. Petty, Jr., M.A., Associate in Ento- nician (on leave) mology Extension F. C. Bellrose, Jr., B.S., Assistant Game C. J. Weinman, Ph.D., Special Research Technician Assistant Harold C. Hanson, M.S., Assistant Game Willis N. Bruce, B.S., Special Research Technician Assistant Section of Applied Botany and Plant Pathology Section of Insect Survey L. R. Tehon, Ph.D., Botanist H. H. Ross, Ph.D., Systematic Entomologist J. C. Carter, Ph.D., Assistant Botanist Carl O. Mohr, Ph.D., Associate Entomolo- G. H. BoEWE, M.S., Field Botanist gist, Artist (on leave) J. L. Forsberg, M.S., Research Pathologist B. D. Burks, Ph.D., Assistant Entomolo- Bessie B. Henderson, M.S., Research Assist- gist (on leave) ant Milton W. Sanderson, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist Section of Publications Kathryn M. Sommerman, M.S., Artist, James S. Avars, B.S., Technical Editor Entomological Assistant Eleanor G. Wolff, B.Ed., Assistant Tech- Phyllis A. Beaver, Laboratory Assistant nical Editor Technical Library Section of Forestry Marguerite Simmons, M.A., M.S., Techni- James E. Davis, M.F., Extension Forester cal Librarian Consultants in Herpetology: Howard K. Gloyd, Ph.D., Director of the Museum, Chicago Academy of Sciences ; Clifford H. Pope, B.S., Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles, Chicago Natural History Museum Deceased January 1, 1945. Thit paper ia a. contribution from the Section of Applied Botany and Plant Pathology. (81409—2M—4-45) PREFA CE THE results which Dr. J. Cedric Carter of Public Works for the V'illage, furthered reports in this article of the Bulletin the work in all possible ways. With his OF THE Illinois Natural History Survey approval, Mr. William Ellsworth Rose, as are the outcome of six consecutive years, Forester, took an enthusiastic interest in 1939 through 1944, of study in the field, the work from 1939 through 1941, and Mr. greenhouse and laboratory of a complex of Joseph F. Shafer, Assistant Commissioner disease manifestations in the American elm. of Public Works, showed an equal interest The elements of this complex, singly and in from 1942 through 1944. These men gave /arious combinations, have puzzled both generously of their time, assisting personally practical and scientific tree experts for many and assigning men employed under them to .ears. various tasks as need arose. Among such Dr. Carter has demonstrated that there tasks may be mentioned the collecting of s a direct relationship between an obscure wood, gas and sap samples for laboratory lisease of the heartwood of living elms, testing, the felling and cutting up of certain :ommonly called wetwood, and certain trees, the periodical recording through 2 orms of twig and branch dieback, "bleed- years of the readings of gauges installed in ng" from crotches and wounds, and the trees, the feeding of several trees and the wo conditions known to tree experts as setting up of a number of experiments. nternal slime flux and external slime flux. Also, through their reports to the Village !4e has isolated a species of bacterium, President and Board of Trustees, Mr. Rose ipparently heretofore undescribed and un- and Mr. Shafer kept the officials and lamed, which can produce elements of this citizens of Hinsdale informed regarding the lisease complex upon being inoculated into progress of the investigation. lealthy trees. To acknowledge all of this help is a Although supporting material and ob- pleasure. The elements of personal and ervations were gathered in many places in public interest did much to make Dr. Uinois, the major part of the field work Carter's study complete and exact in many onnected with this investigation was done details. Moreover, the cooperation between n the Village of Hinsdale, in Du Page officials, of the Village of Hinsdale and "ounty, Illinois. Much of the equipment scientists of the Illinois Natural History lecessary for some of the studies and certain Survey, cordially maintained throughout, 'materials, such as fertilizers, were furnished provides an example showing how com- y the Village, along with labor and other munities in Illinois can proceed toward the ;elp, as occasion demanded. Many of the solution of tree problems requiring the lustrations in this paper show phases of services of highly specialized scientists. 'lese Hinsdale studies. T. H. J'RisoN, Chief Mr. Robert S. Hopkins, Commissioner Illinois Natural History Survey. CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments 407 Review of Literature 407 Hosts and Distribution 408 Trunk Pathology 409 Wood Discoloration 409 Gas 410 Sap 410 Root Pathology 413 Branch Pathology 414 Foliage Pathology 416 Dissected Elm 417 Isolations 418 Histology 419 The Wetwood Organism 420 Morphology 420 Cultural Characters 420 Biochemical Reaction 422 Taxonomy 422 Erwin'ta nimipressuralis New Species 423 Inoculations 423 ' American Elm, Greenhouse Inoculations 423 Siberian Elm, Greenhouse Inoculations 424 I Toxicity Tests for Wilt 425 Laboratory Tests on Cut Shoots 425 Field Tests on 2-Year-Old Elms 426 Greenhouse Tests on 2-Year-Old Elms 427 Greenhouse Tests on 7- to 12-Foot Elms 429 Pressures in Affected Elms 430 Field Studies 430 Greenhouse Studies 433 3as Analysis 436 Sap Analysis 437 The pH of Sap 438 Control Studies 439 Helione Injections and Feeding in 1940 439 Urea Feeding in 1941-42 439 Drains Installed in 1942 440 Injections in 1941 and 1942 440 VllSCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS 441 Injections of Toxic and Stimulatory Materials 441 Distribution of Malachite Green in Elms 441 Soil Tests 443 Elm Seeds 444 Growth Associations 444 onclusions 444 nummary 445 iterature Cited 446 American elm on the University of Illinois campus. The American elm, Ulmus amerkana L., unsurpassed ij beauty and grace, is the most popular and widely plante| shade tree in the Middle West. — Wetwood of Elms J. CEDRIC CARTER investigation of wetwood Assistant Professor of Bacteriology at the THE is reported in this paper the out- University of Illinois, made many helpful growth of studies of an unusual suggestions in connection with the identi- wilt observed on a large number of fication of the bacterium associated with American elms in the Village of Hinsdale, wetwood. Preliminary analyses of sap Illinois, in July and August, 1939. As from wetwood-affected elms were run by studies of the wilt progressed, it became Dr. F. F. Weinard, Associate Professor apparent that this wilt was a secondary of Floricultural Physiology at the Univer- manifestation of disease intimately related sity of Illinois. Mr. O. T. Lay, in charge to slime flux, a chronic bleeding at crotches of the city office of the United States and wounds, to abnormally high sap Department of Commerce Weather Bu- pressure in the trunk, and to wetwood, a reau at Chicago, furnished the monthly water-soaked, darkly discolored condition meteorological summaries for Chicago. of the heartwood. The investigation has Photographic illustrations for the frontis- shown that all of these conditions—wilt- piece and for figs. 19, 20, 21 and 22 were ing, high sap pressure and water-soaked, prepared by Mr. Ray R. Hamm, Manager discolored wood—are phases of the wet- of the University of Illinois photographic wood disease, and that a bacterium, and blueprinting laboratory. Mrs. Lucile described as a new species, can cause Rogers Carter assisted in many ways in wetwood in elms. the preparation of this manuscript. The author is indebted to Dr. L. R. Tehon, Acknowledgments head of the Section of Applied Botany and Plant Pathology of the Illinois Natural The author wishes to express his sincere History Survey, for suggestions made appreciation to all those who have assisted during the course of this investigation. in any way during the course of this in- I'estigation. Special recognition is given Review of Literature to the Village of Hinsdale foresters Mr. W. E. Rose through 1941 and Mr. A bacterial vascular disease of Lom- poplar, Populus nigra italica J. F. Shafer since 1942—for their assist- bardy ance with the portion of the investigation Muenchh., was described by Hartley & that was carried out at Hinsdale. Elms Crandall (1935). Crandall, Hartley & affected with wetwood on Hinsdale park- Davidson (1937) called this disease wet- ways were used in parts of this investiga- wood and described it as "a water-soaked tion.