io8 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the leopard moth, and the cottony maple scale is a dangerous pest 

 of soft maples in that section. There is in addition a soft brown 

 scale which is fast becoming a serious enemy to both soft and hard 

 maples in the Hudson valley and presumably in other sections of 

 the State. Many beautiful white birches have been killed by a 

 destructive borer [pi. 2]. The situation is rendered much more 

 grave by the slow and sure spread of the now thoroughly estab- 

 lished and almost omnivorous gipsy moth in Massachusetts and 

 its able and hardly less baneful associate, the brown tail moth. The 

 former has made its way about 30 miles west of Boston and the 

 latter has already invaded the Connecticut valley. Both are quite 

 injurious to shade trees, the brown tail moth showing a decided 

 fondness for maples. There are minor insect enemies in addition 

 to those mentioned above. Bacterial and fungous diseases are 

 also insidious foes and should be checked wherever possible. 



It is a short-sighted policy that allows this vast wealth of our 

 municipalities and villages to be destroyed for the want of a little 

 protection, and the present seems a most fitting time to urge the 

 adoption of more comprehensive measures to safeguard the welfare 

 of our trees. Every city of 50,000 or more should make provision 

 for the adequate care of its shade trees by putting them under the 

 control of a properly qualified forester or entomologist connected 

 with either the park or street department. Most villages would 

 also find it advantageous to make some provision for the welfare 

 of their shade trees, even though it is impossible to place their care 

 in the hands of a specially qualified person. It is not necessary 

 that one charged with this work be a college graduate or a 

 professional entomologist. A practical knowledge of trees and 

 methods of protecting them from insect depredations is all that 

 should be insisted upon. Such a man's first duty should be to keep 

 the shade and park trees in good condition and protect them from 

 fungous diseases and insect ravages. It should also devolve upon 

 him to set out trees wherever needed, and a knowledge of their 

 habits and methods of growth would prove invaluable in selecting 

 those adapted to the various conditions found in every city and 

 village. 



The cost of such work is not excessive and in a city of 100,000 

 inhabitants or thereabouts very much could be accomplished by an 

 annual expenditure of two to three thousand dollars or one to 

 one and one half per cent of the value of the trees, and the benefits 

 resulting therefrom would be beyond computation. There are in 



