The professional care of trees can be traced all the way back to the 1800s with John Davey, who many in the industry consider the father of “tree surgery.” However, the truth of the matter is that the Early Egyptians transplanted trees and the Greeks treated unhealthy trees.
It wasn’t until 1877 that there was a forestry school created in Scotland, with one to follow in India in 1878. By this time, according to Gilman’s Guide to Pruning, people were using trees as art in the form of topiaries and trees were often used as a status symbol of wealth and prosperity. The industry grew quickly from there.
It wasn’t until John Davey broke into the field, however, that arboriculture became a professional art form. He became passionate about natural resources and went on to publish The Tree Doctor, a book that many gardening enthusiasts owned. He then went on to found The Davey Tree Expert Company in America and a school in Kent. Slowly but surely, others picked up on the habit and it quickly started spreading to other areas of the country.
Growth in Tree Care
Soon the time came when these professionals wanted to come together and discuss the trade, so 24 years after Davey’s book was published, they created the first national conference of commercial arborists, researchers, and educations. Thirty five men attended and discussed the future of the industry. By 1926, they formed the National Shade Tree Conference.
Eventually, this conference because the International Society of Arboriculture that we know today. The organizations works to increase awareness of the importance of trees and to promote the practice of arboriculture. There are many different subcommittees within the organization today.
1932 brought the first American use of the term “Arboriculture” by Charles Irish – though the terms was some 300 years old and dates back to the Arboriculture Society of Scotland. There was a need to “legitimize” the term in American culture for those who worked within the field.
Tree Care Today
Through the years, technology has developed and raised standards and services to the levels they are currently at. Modern tree care services now have to know about tree climbing, chainsaw work, and tree care. They also have to understand how trees develop and live in accordance with the ever changing environment of the world. Some of the greatest threats have been pollution from cars, ewaste, and industry pollution.
For those who actively participate in the field, the study and practice of arboriculture is a science, a passion, and an art.
If you’re looking for someone who will uphold the standards that started all those years ago, give All Star Tree Service in Huntsville a call at (256) 513-6277.
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Feature Image: Ingrid Taylor
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