166 THE BOOK OF FORESTRY 



training since people as well as trees must be handled. 

 One of the best known men in this line of work at- 

 tributes his success to the schoolchildren of his city. In 

 addition to lecturing before men's and women's clubs 

 he has enlisted the interest and enthusiasm of the 

 younger citizens in the schools. Several hundred shade 

 tree clubs were formed and each club took charge of 

 several score of shade trees and watered and cultivated 

 them carefully during the hot summer season. Aside 

 from the actual service rendered the spirit aroused was 

 especially valuable. 



Communal Forestry. In the New England States 

 where the town corresponding to a Western township 

 is the unit of government there is often an official 

 whose work includes shade tree work, fire protection and 

 moth suppression besides. This town tree warden is a 

 man of some importance and should have considerable 

 forestry training, for in some of the States, like Massa- 

 chusetts, knowledge of the life history and habits of 

 the gypsy and brown-tail moth is necessary. Under 

 men of this type would come the management of com- 

 munal forests, when such forests, owned and operated 

 by the towns and villages are common throughout the 

 country. 



This ownership by the community of tracts of timber 

 land is one of the most promising possibilities of for- 

 estry. In Germany and Switzerland many of the small 

 towns own communal forests from which a substantial 

 revenue is obtained. Massachusetts has established fifty- 

 six such forests and doubtless other States will take 

 this method of adding to their revenue and at the same 

 time greatly improving the surroundings by transform- 

 ing waste land into cool beautiful forest land. 



Aside from the value of shade trees in making our 



