MUNICIPAL CONTROL OF SHADE TREES 227 
shade tree government it is possible for the city’s trained 
workers to detect attacks and prevent serious injury. 
This applies to diseases as well as to insect enemies. By 
the timely detection and treatment of these dangers, the 
trees of an entire neighborhood may be saved. 
Even spraying, simple as it may seem, is a process best 
handled by the community-at-large. To spray a small 
tree, in the early years, is easily accomplished by the use 
of a garden spraying apparatus; but when the tree becomes 
larger, the outfit must be more powerful. For the individ¬ 
ual to have such equipment is scarcely expected. For the 
city or town government to have outfits which will care for 
all the trees of the community is the simplest, most 
efficient and most economical plan and, therefore, the 
most logical and desirable. 
Central control by the municipal government is to be 
commended from every point of view, and where such 
control is lacking, property owners should insist that it be 
provided. 
It will be found that the creation of such control will be a 
step of great importance in developing attractive streets. 
Probably the most satisfactory way of securing super¬ 
vision is through an unpaid commission of three or five 
members, which in turn employs an executive officer. In 
a small place a commission of three persons may be best, 
one being appointed every two years for a six-year term. 
In large places five members may be better, and the ideal 
term would be 10 years. A compromise would be a five- 
year term, a new member being appointed each year. The 
great reason for long-term appointees is that it takes two 
or three years for a member of such a board or commission 
to see and realize the things needed to be done and the 
policies that should be carried out. Because it takes a long 
time to get results in growing street trees, the policies 
