Table 1.

Comparison of three diseased-elm-removal practices based on a 5-year study by 1,000-tree units.

Treatment and year	Elms^a		Survey	Historical costs (dollars)^b
Treatment and year	Beginning of season	Diseased removed	Survey	Girdling	Removal	Total
Girdling-plus-prompt removal^c
1974	1,000	56	498	138	11,254	11,890
1975	944	35	517	95	7,683	8,295
1976	909	47	518	132	10,796	11,446
1977	862	39	518	115	9,399	10,032
1978	823	69	519	217	17,802	18,538
Total		246	2,570	697	56,934	60,201
Prompt removal^c
1974	1,000	47	500		9,446	9,946
1975	953	39	522		8,562	9,084
1976	914	65	518		14,930	15,448
1977	849	58	505		13,978	14,483
1978	791	61	500		15,738	16,238
Total		270	2,545		62,654	65,199
Delayed removal^d
1974	1,000	63	267		10,560	10,827
1975	937	60	273		10,985	11,258
1976	877	112	268		21,456	21,724
1977	765	79	245		15,879	16,124
1978	686	95	233		20,425	20,658
Total		409	1,286		79,305	80,591

↵^aElm loss data from Barger 1977, Barger, Cannon, and DeMaggio 1982.
↵^bAdjusted from 1972 cost data (Cannon and Worley 1976) with the average wholesale price index each year for 1974 through 1978 with the method of Cannon and Worley (1980).
↵^cSurveys made in mid-June, when 61 % of the total diseased elms were identified; mid-July, 32%; late August, 7%. Survey cost and girdling cost (in 1978 dollars) set at $51 per hour. First survey at 34 cents per tree, subsequent two surveys at 1 % disease rate at 15.5 cents per tree each survey. Cost of intensive tree removal set at $258 (cost of conventional removal plus 20% for extra effort required).
↵^dCosts (in 1978 dollars) based on data from Cannon and Worley (1976): one survey at 34 cents per tree, and conventional removal during dormant season at $215 per tree.