CHRISTMAS TREES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 16, 16 December 1932, Page 14

CHRISTMAS TREES

The Christmas tree business it not old. The customs of bringing a fir tree into the home at Chrisunus was not introduced into England from Germany until 1840. Up until a few years ago the head of tfie family could go out to some convenient hillside and select and cut a tree for his home. Owners of woodland property began to object as young trees became more valuable, and soon it was necessary to buy trees from dealers, who imported special stock to supply the market, and an important industry was born. More trees are needed each year, and, despite the inroads made into the industry by tire use of artificial trees, the cut trees are being bought in ever-increasing quantities and are being shipped to the market from ever-increasing distances. About 15,000.000 trees, it is estimated, are cut eacli year. The choicest tree for Christmas is without doubt the balsam fir, says an American writer. It fragrance and ideal form make it very popular.. It is conical, broad at the bottom, terminates in a sharp apex, and the branches are evenly spaced. The needles are dark green and retain their colour for two to six weeks. (Most of the balsam firs for the East- • ern city markets are cut in Maine and Vermont, but many are shipped from Canada and the West Coast. ■ White pine is another species I widely used. Cedar is very fragrant and gives off a delightful “woodsy” | odour in the home. The various i species of pine have always been used [White pine, a five-needle pine; pitch j pine, with three needles, and red or Norway pine, » two-needle species, are most commonly seen in city nmr- ■ kets. Hemlock is another beautiful [evergreen tree supplied for the | trade, but its foliage is generally thin and its needles drop soon after cutting. The harvesting of Christmas trees | for city consumption begins as early [as the middle of October and continues until the early part of December. Generally the trees are obtained by thinning out young growth where the majority of trees would sue-, cumb naturally in the keen competition for sunlight growing space. Others are obtained from lumbering operations, where the tops of felled trees are salvaged. Trees from five to eight feet, in height are in greatest demand, though trees twenty to forty feet are wanted for use in churches or for community CliristmaS trees. They are graded and bundled according to size. A bundle may contain from one to six trees, though three is the usual number. From 1000 to 2000 bundles make a carload. Forest owners in remote backwoods regions frequently receive as low as twenty-five to thirty cents per bundle, delivered to some convenient loading place. The freight rate from up-State New York City and Philadelphia varies between 135 dollars and 150 dollars a car. From New Brunswick the freight charges are about 250 dollars.