4 Introductory 
and carelessness; a little care at the proper time would have 
saved the investment which cannot be duplicated in the 
owner’s lifetime. 
In almost every small and large town in the United States 
there has been a remarkable activity in the planting of 
street trees during the last fifty years; but for the lack of 
care the majority, perhaps, of these trees have become 
cripples, doomed sooner or later to an untimely death. 
The public usually recognizes only the foliage and the 
shade, and fails to observe the insidious work of fungi, 
induced through breakages and bad pruning, and over- 
looks the unsightly scars and wounds and stubs which 
bring about this premature decline and death —all for 
lack of care. 
To make owners of shade and ornamental trees more 
sensible to the care and attention which their property 
demands, to give them not only more interest but also spe- 
cific advice, a “first aid’ toward a knowledge of what this 
care should be, and to assist tree-wardens in caring for their 
charges with more circumspection, this book is written. 
It is hoped that the perusal of these pages will enable any 
interested owner of trees to make himself intelligent as to 
the nature of trees, to help himself in most cases in their 
care, to avoid foolish practices advised by the quacks, and 
to superintend intelligently the execution of professional 
advice. For this purpose it is necessary first to have some 
knowledge of the life of trees and of their behavior in nor- 
mal conditions, for then only will it be possible to recognize 
abnormal conditions, to diagnose disease, and understand 
the rationale in the use of the remedies. 
It must, however, never be forgotten that the judgment of 
an experienced man is sometimes necessary to diagnose the 
case correctly, and to prescribe for it. 
