CHAPTER XX. 
MUNICIPAL CONTROL OF SHADE TREES 
O make street tree planting successful and satisfac- 
JL tory there must be one central head charged with full 
responsibility and armed with authority to establish and 
enforce suitable regulations. This is necessary in order 
to bring about systematic choice of species for planting, 
to insure correct spacing between trees, and to provide 
for proper pruning as well as adequate protection 
against insects and diseases. 
This central control is just as important in connection 
with trees as in the matter of sewer systems, water-pipes, 
sidewalks and paving. Public health and convenience 
make it necessary for these improvements to be in the 
hands of city or town or district authorities, and the pub¬ 
lic’s interest in the shade trees of the community calls for 
giving them similar treatment. When individual tastes 
and preferences in the matter of shade trees are permitted 
to control, one man may plant a Silver Maple, the man 
next door choose an Ailanthus, another select the Norway 
Maple, and near at hand may come in bewildering suc¬ 
cession a Scarlet Oak, a Sycamore, a Tulip, a Sugar 
Maple and a Horse Chestnut. The result of this wide 
variation of choice is certain to present a riot of size, 
shape and coloring as the trees develop and their widely 
different characteristics become emphasized. Such a 
street will have an uneven and ragged appearance satis¬ 
factory to no one. 
Each street shade tree should be looked upon in its 
relationship to all the other trees along that street, or, at 
any rate, to those along a particular part of the thorough- 
