News Release – 13 December 2004

Dec. 13, 2004 -- Victoria, BC – The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company Canada, Ltd, a subsidiary of The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company, today announced that it has acquired the business operations of Hartshorne Tree Service, Ltd. This is the third acquisition Bartlett Tree Experts has completed in Canada this year, enabling the company to serve customers in the Saanich Peninsula area in addition to Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto and Bracebridge, Ontario.

“We’ve experienced excellent growth in Canada this year and are excited to further extend our tree care services to the Saanich Peninsula,” said Greg Daniels, President of Bartlett Tree Experts. “The Hartshorne staff, who will remain with Bartlett, has extensive knowledge of British Columbia’s habitat and regional plant species. By combining their expertise with Bartlett’s resources, state-of-the-art research facilities and cutting-edge technology, customers are truly getting the best of both worlds.”

Backed by research laboratories unique in Canadian arboriculture, Bartlett Tree Experts has been helping business and residential property owners in Canada protect and preserve their trees and shrubs since 1997.

About Bartlett Tree Experts

The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company was founded in 1907 by Francis A. Bartlett and is the world’s leading scientific tree and shrub care company. The organisation’s current chairman, Robert A. Bartlett Jr., represents the third generation of Bartlett family management. Bartlett has offices in 27 U.S. states, Canada, Ireland and Great Britain. Services include pruning, integrated pest and disease management, soil analysis and management, cabling and bracing, tree lightning protection systems and tree/stump removal. Its corporate offices are located in Stamford, Connecticut.