Man, 101, Loses Battle to Save Herbie The Tallest Elm Tree in New England

[Shallah Kali]

Run time: 02:11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iTJco2y9c   Posted on YouTube: January 08, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 10, 2010 By DU Member: Shallah Kali Views on DU: 1321

 

At age 101, Frank Knight made it his mission over his lifetime to look after the tallest America elm tree in New England. But the tree is due to be chopped down in January because its too weak to fight off its 16th bout of Dutch Elm disease. (Jan. 8)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/01/maine-man-101-loses-battle-to-save-240-year-old-elm-tree-/1

The tree, known as "Herbie" would have succumbed in the 1950s if not for the care of Frank Knight, now 101, who calls the 110-foot tall tree "old friend."

Over the years, Knight, a former town warden, has nursed Herbie with insecticides and fungicide injections to battle the dreaded disease, writes David Sharp, of the Associated Press.

But the battle is now lost and the tree will be cut down in two weeks.

"His time has come," Knight tells the AP. "And mine is about due, too."

Herbie's last stand Photo: File

The beloved Yarmouth tree known as Herbie, at Yankee Drive and East Main Street, will come down Monday, Jan. 18.

http://www.theforecaster.net/content/n-yarherbieparking-0

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. We've lost some beautiful old Elms in this part of the state too. We have a replanting program

so most of them are being replaced, but it will be a long time before they are a match to their stately predecessors.

[pansypoo53219]

2. milwaukee

lost so many. as a kid there would be a few remaining ones. must be something nearby cause somehow one was self planted in the yard in a curious spot and then another and i try to nurture any ree that just pops up. little maples don't seem to move very well. : (. the little elms are now reaching the wires. 9 inches wide. so far they are doing fine.

[tclambert]

3. I remember as a kid in Michigan we used to have streets lined with elms arching gracefully over the

road. But that was part of the problem when disease came along. We had these long lines of trees touching each other, all the same species. Once one tree caught the disease it was like lighting a fuse that burned through miles of trees without a break.

[winyanstaz]

4. New England should plant a tree for this man :)