THE TREE DOCTOR 



125 



over the trees and found a great number in a very bad condi- 

 tion. He asked me if they could be saved. I pointed out those 

 that could be restored, and stated the approximate cost. I found 

 Commissioner Walgrove to be a very honorable and candid man. 

 Said he, "I will now tell you how I am situated. There is just 

 so much money appropriated by the city government to run this 

 park system. So much has to be spent on drives, so much for 



Photo 111 

 A luxuriant Growth. 



this and so much for that. There is but a small amount to be 

 spent on trees. But the worst of it is I have no power to hire 

 skilled labor for this work. The men are sent to me from the 

 Civil Service Department, recommended as suitable persons to 

 look after the trees. It is possible they know enough to put on 

 a pair of spurs and mutilate a tree, as they would climb a tele- 

 graph pole ; they may not know that much. They may not 

 know enough to grind an ax with which they would "butcher" 

 a tree. These men are'"recommended" to the Civil Service De- 



