166 THE BOOK OF FORESTRY 
training since people as well as trees must be handled. 
One of the best known men in this line of work at- 
tributes his suecess to the schoolchildren of his city. In 
addition to lecturing before men’s and women’s clubs 
he has enlisted the interest and enthusiasm of the 
younger citizens in the schools. Several hundred shade 
tree clubs were formed and each club took charge of 
several score of shade trees and watered and cultivated 
them carefully during the hot summer season. Aside 
from the actual service rendered the spirit aroused was 
especially valuable. 
Communal Forestry—In the New England States 
where the town—corresponding to a Western township 
—is the unit of government there is often an official 
whose work includes shade tree work, fire protection and 
moth suppression besides. This town tree warden is a 
man of some importance and should have considerable 
forestry training, for in some of the States, like Massa- 
chusetts, knowledge of the life history and habits of 
the gypsy and brown-tail moth is necessary. Under 
men of this type would come the management of com- 
munal forests, when such forests, owned and operated 
by the towns and villages are common throughout the 
country. 
This ownership by the community of tracts of timber 
land is one of the most promising possibilities of for- 
estry. In Germany and Switzerland many of the small 
towns own communal forests from which a substantial 
revenue is obtained. Massachusetts has established fifty- 
six such forests and doubtless other States will take 
this method of adding to their revenue and at the same 
time greatly improving the surroundings by transform- 
ing waste land into cool beautiful forest land. 
Aside from the value of shade trees in making our 
