A good tree care program begins with a general understanding of man's role in relation to trees. Regarding your own trees, you will usually have four possible courses of action to choose from. Which action you choose to take will have a profound effect on your trees (See illustrations 2, 3, 4, and 5)

Editor's Note: The four possible courses of action are:
*All trees can be left uncut to allow a natural or wilderness area to develop.
*Some trees can be cut while others left are improperly pruned.
*Some trees can be cut and those left are pruned properly.
*All trees can be cut.

A good tree care program includes looking for hints of trouble. There are a number of signs and symptoms that indicate the development of decay in a tree. All too often they go unrecognized until it is too late. However, early recognition of these signs and symptoms, followed by proper treatment, can do much to proven or minimize the damage caused by decay and the subsequent waste of so many good trees and so much valuable wood. Before deciding on a plan of action, it is wise to consider these basic points about trees.

TREES take many years to grow. The effects of planting a new tree or cutting and pruning an old tree will be felt years hence. HEALTH of the tree is a major factor in all situations. DISEASES are major causes of tree problems. The diseases that cause the most damage are those associated with wounds. WOUNDS start the processes that can lead to decay. DECAY can lead to low quality, unsightly, and hazardous trees. Decay of wood in a tree is the final stage of a process that starts with a wound. Decay involves the action of many wood-inhabiting microorganisms over a long period of time.

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