TREE PLANTING ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 201 



trunk. But this, in turn, will never be done until the care of the trees devolves 

 upon the city authorities or a tree-planting society invested with necessary powers. 

 The man in a rented house will not invest a cent to protect the tree in front of his 

 residence, and the landlord cares nothing about it so long as he gets his rent. 



The erection of electric wires for telephone service, trolley lines and illuminating 

 purposes, is a prolific source of injury. It is a disputed question whether electricity 

 itself does much harm ; in fact, a mild current may be beneficial to trees as well as 

 men. Prof. Stone states that, as shown by experiments, the alternating current is 

 less disastrous to plant life than the direct current, and that either, when used at a 

 certain strength, will accelerate growth and strength.* The injury from the current 

 is mostly local, being confined to points of contact ; and this can be largely pre- 

 vented by a complete insulation of the wires. But the mutilation or destruction of 

 trees caused in the stringing of the wires is another matter. This evil can be 

 prevented by the village or town authorities, unless a right of way has been granted 

 which gives the railroad, telephone, or electric light company permission to remove 

 any obstruction that interferes with the erection of its poles and wires. 



Protection from Insects. 



Protection from insects requires constant care and watchfulness. As the house- 

 holder, generally, has only a few trees to look after, he can, with proper care and 

 diligence, effectually check any insect pest before serious damage is inflicted. But 

 neglect and carelessness on his part may result in the loss of his trees. At the first 

 sign of danger expert advice should be sought for as to the proper remedies and 

 methods to be employed. Where a large number of trees on a street or lawn are 

 attacked by insects a spraying with poisonous mixtures must be resorted to. 



Spraying is done with a duplex pump operated by a steam or gasoline engine, the 

 machinery and tank being placed in a light spring wagon, and hauled with one horse 

 from place to place. With 95 pounds pressure, or thereabouts, trees eighty feet 

 high can be sprayed ; and by using ladders, and hose with a spray nozzle, the under 

 side of the leaves can be thoroughly drenched. This apparatus is used on streets 

 and in public parks, or wherever a large number of trees require treatment. The 

 citizen who is mostly concerned with the trees of his own street front or lawn can 

 obtain satisfactory results from a hand pump with plenty of hose. To be effective 

 the spraying must be done at the time the insects begin to feed. 



* Prof. George E. Stone, Hatch Experiment Station, Amherst, Mass. Dangers to Shade Trees; a 

 paper read at a meeting of the Massachusetts Forestry Association, held in Worcester, Mass., Nov. 19, 

 1902. 



