MUNICIPAL CONTROL OF SHADE TREES 227 



shade tree government it is possible for the city's trained 

 workers to detect attacks and prevent serious injury. 

 This applies to diseases as well as to insect enemies. By 

 the timely detection and treatment of these dangers, the 

 trees of an entire neighborhood may be saved. 



Even spraying, simple as it may seem, is a process best 

 handled by the community-at-large. To spray a small 

 tree, in the early years, is easily accomplished by the use 

 of a garden spraying apparatus; but when the tree becomes 

 larger, the outfit must be more powerful. For the individ- 

 ual to have such equipment is scarcely expected. For the 

 city or town government to have outfits which will care for 

 all the trees of the community is the simplest, most 

 efficient and most economical plan and, therefore, the 

 most logical and desirable. 



Central control by the municipal government is to be 

 commended from every point of view, and where such 

 control is lacking, property owners should insist that it be 

 provided. 



It will be found that the creation of such control will be a 

 step of great importance in developing attractive streets. 



Probably the most satisfactory way of securing super- 

 vision is through an unpaid commission of three or five 

 members, which in turn employs an executive officer. In 

 a small place a commission of three persons may be best, 

 one being appointed every two years for a six-year term. 

 In large places five members may be better, and the ideal 

 term would be 10 years. A compromise would be a five- 

 year term, a new member being appointed each year. The 

 great reason for long-term appointees is that it takes two 

 or three years for a member of such a board or commission 

 to see and realize the things needed to be done and the 

 policies that should be carried out. Because it takes a long 

 time to get results in growing street trees, the policies 



