INSECT PESTS OF OHIO SHADE AND FOREST TREES 183 



SCOPE OF WORK 



The municipal tree department in order to be most useful 

 should have entire charge of the trees growing upon the land 

 owned and controlled by the municipality, and should have power to 

 enter private property for controlling outbreaks of noxious pests. 

 Moreover some provision should be made whereby the department 

 may respond to appeals from private individuals desiring assist- 

 ance in caring for trees already planted or in laying out grounds 

 and planting new trees. 



If the work concerning the trees is divided between two organi- 

 zations or more, certain phases of it are certain to overlap and still 

 others to be neglected. Moreover, the tree activities should be 

 centralized, for in this way employment can more likely be fur- 

 nished during the entire year for the men. If the work is so organ- 

 ized that it becomes necessary to dismiss most of the force during 

 certain seasons, the men find employment elsewhere during their 

 idle months and naturally are unwilling to return to a sporadic 

 position when the season for work opens. Such a plan operates 

 toward its own defeat, since, as already shown, continuity of service 

 is one of the prime essentials for the success of the work. 



If all the items concerning the care of the trees and shrubs of 

 a city are centralized in one department, it automatically follows 

 that at least the greater number of the men can be employed during 

 the entire season. In fact, it is a good plan for those in charge 

 to have the opportunity to do some pruning on the force at certain 

 seasons, since they are thus afforded the chance to eliminate the 

 shirks. 



It is also good policy to put into operation a variable wage scale 

 by which the men receive more for the busy seasons of the year 

 and less when work is slack, since such a plan has a tendency to hold 

 the men for the times when they are most needed, as, for instance, 

 the spring and summer spraying seasons. 



Briefly discussed, the more important divisions of the physical 

 work of a municipal tree department are as follows : Growing the 

 planting stock, planting, protecting, pruning, cultivating, watering, 

 fertilizing, mowing, spraying, etc. 



With such a range of work to do, and with a little foresight in 

 management, employment can be furnished for the men during 

 nearly the entire season. The time when it is most difficult to find 

 employment for the force is, of course, during the three winter 

 months, but if working quarters are available the time can be spent 



