DISEASES OF TREES LIKELY TO FOLLOW INJURIES. 155 



Discussion. 



Rev. Calviu Terry said that lie appreciated the subject of this 

 lecture. From what the speaker had told us the logical couclusiou 

 "would appear to be that special legislatiou is necessary. There 

 should be a special Board of Commissioners in each town as well 

 as city, who should have entire control — with due regard to the 

 rights and wishes of the abutters — of all ornamental trees and 

 shrubbery' in the streets and public grounds. Such officers should 

 be experts, or persons who are well fitted bj^ education and exper- 

 ience acceptably to discharge the duties of that oflice. At present 

 these matters are mostly left to the discretion and mercy of the 

 knights of the pick and shovel, who know little or nothing of 

 the needs of such plants and are more apt to damage than to 

 protect them. He spoke from sad experience, — he could not 

 forget his feelings when he reached home on one occasion and 

 found some of his trees seriously damaged and permanently 

 disfigured. 



O. B. Hadwen said that he had been delighted with the lecture, 

 as he appreciated highly the importance of protecting and taking 

 good care of trees. He had been one of the Park Commissioners 

 of Worcester since 1867, and with his colleagues had had manj^ 

 encounters with the Commissioners of Streets, whose workmen 

 seem determined to injure trees which impede their progress iu 

 setting curbstones. However, they have improved somewhat, as 

 there is less damage done now than in former times. Referring to 

 injuries from other causes, he spoke of a fine tree that was consid- 

 erably burned on one side daring a conflagration in 1842. The 

 tree was about two feet in diameter and in vigorous growth at that 

 time, and directly began the work of repair. This has been 

 continued ever since and the wound is nearly closed over although 

 there is a cavity behind the new growth. It bids fan- to live many 

 years, and he thought it a rare instance of such restoration. The 

 speaker recommended that when private citizens set trees in front 

 of theii" premises, they put them within their own lines, in order to 

 retain control of them, and avoid a great deal of annoj'ance from 

 man}' sources. Trees add largely to the beauty of our villages as 

 well as cities, and the people take pride iu such adornments, but 

 they need protection and should have it. 



