The Parkhurst Elm

In front of Parkhurst Hall stands a towering elm—perfect in form, I rendering shade in summer and golden hues in fall. Hundreds walk by it every day without giving it a glance. If they but knew what odds that elm has overcome to be what it is today, they would gaze at it in awe.

(a) To grow from a seedling to a 130-year-old tree—under ideal conditions is extraordinary for an elm. To do so jammed between a sidewalk and Hanover's North Main Street is virtually impossible,(b) The hurricane I of 1938 leveled elm sall over town. The Parkhurst elm stood firm, (c) In the 1950s Dutch elm disease decimated Dartmouth's remaining proud "shade trees." The Parkhurst elm survived, (d) In 1979 the east roots of the Parkhurst elm were cut away to improve the drainage under North Main Street. And still it grew and grows now measuring more than 14 feet in circumference and 94 feet tall.

In 19891 led a French-speaking tour on campus. Approaching the Parkhurst elm, the visitors saw an amazing sight. The elm's root flair, uncovered a foot underground, was encircled by a plastic tube connected to a maze of "injection tees" inserted in the roots. Additional paraphernalia included a huge tank attached to an electric pump.

"What's that?" asked a matronly observer. "Intravenous feeding of a tree? "

"Exactly. Our tree expert, Robert Thebodo, inoculates all infected elms with fungicide. If this tree will absorb, underpressure, 60 gallons of the fluid within two days, it will resist the fatal elm disease for three years. If not, it is beyond help and must be destroyed. The next two days will tell."

I The matron looked wistfully at the elm before speaking: "Please tell Monsieur Thebodo I shall pray for this tree tonight."

I It must have helped. That was nine years ago, and the Parkhurst elm keeps growing, in defiance of all the odds.

Life-support systems for campus elms have kept the big trees green.