X. ®l|p 0imt ®r?p (Etxatw 



3tfi Jlitr^nar and UaUtr 



The idea of a street tree census is one which has received 

 much attention by city forestry departments, and one which 

 appeals to any city street tree administration upon first 

 approaching the street tree problem. The value of a 

 permanent tree record to a bureau or department of city 

 forestry is self-evident. 



It is difficult if not impossible to secure economy and 

 efficiency in maintenance cost without knowing the number 

 and kinds of trees being maintained, while without a census 

 kept up to date the labor and cost of inspection and investi- 

 gation will be increased many fold. However, the clerical 

 labor involved in securing a tree census, as such is com- 

 monly kept, and the maintaining of it after it has been 

 secured, has caused many city forestry departments to 

 abandon the scheme. In approaching this problem in Man- 

 hattan the writer realized the necessity of securing a form 

 of census which would eliminate the labor and effort of 

 a single-tree-card-system, book system or map system. 

 After considerable experiment a card system especially 

 adapted to conditions in Manhattan has been worked out 

 which will, it is believed, secure the desired results with a 

 minimum of effort and expense. 



The tree census based on this form of card can be very 

 easily made in the first place, and then kept up to date with 

 a modicum of labor when completed. The block is made the 

 unit for the individual card. All reference to tree species 

 and details of planting are made by number or letter. The 

 record is to be kept in pencil to be erased and changed as 

 any changes occur in tree conditions so that it is seldom 

 if ever necessary to make duplicate cards or repeat a record. 



(84) 



