No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 341 



who has had much experience in the latter place, was transferred 

 to Cohasset to superintend the work. For some reason the plans 

 fell through, but it was thought best to keep Mr. Holmes in 

 that section, and a new division was made there. From the 

 year's work it is beheved that the conditions are better than 

 ever, although the results would have been much more satis- 

 factory had the former arrangements been carried out. 



City Forester. 



The proper care of shade trees in our cities and towns is an 

 economic question of great importance. While trees grow natu- 

 rally throughout tlie State, and in the past they have needed 

 little care, in recent years, due to many causes, they must be 

 intelligently looked after if we expect to keep them healthy and 

 vigorous. The importance of foreign depredations like insects 

 and diseases has necessitated our having a knowledge of their 

 habits and life histories as well as remedies for their control. 

 The unbalancing of our conditions in cutting off forests, enlarging 

 our cities and changing things generally in our development of the 

 country are accountable for many of our troubles. The work 

 of the Massachusetts Forestry Association, through its new 

 endeavors in establishing branch organizations in different sec- 

 tions of the State and thereby stirring up new interest in the 

 importance of better care of our trees, is resulting in the desire 

 on the part of our people that more skill be employed. Secretary 

 Reynolds has several competent men working in different sections 

 along this line whose efforts are already showing good results. 



Mr. W. W. Colton, a former employee of this department, has 

 been city forester of the city of Fitchburg for the past two years, 

 and as his accomplishments during this time have been extremely 

 effective, I have prevailed upon him to prepare the following 

 paper, believing it will prove of general interest : — 



Work of a City Forester in Massachusetts. 

 Most of our Massachusetts cities have had some individual or some 

 department that has looked after the interests of the shade trees. A few 

 have had a man who held the office of city forester, but whose duties were 

 only to trim and plant shade trees. The gradual change in conditions 

 in the past few years added many duties to the office of city forester, until 

 now it is a much more difficult position to fill than previously. The modern 



