New-York tribune., 1899-12-17

hsps any other dealer In town. said to re-
porter;
The fact OF the matter is that every year it is
becoming more end more difficult to get these
trees and TO keep pace with the ever increasing
demand for them. Twenty years ago five car
loads Of trees would have swamped this market
and to-day four hundred loads would not do it,
At that time there were only a few German
FAMILIES who INDUCED in the use of Christmas
trees. but now they are bought more by Ameri-
cans than by Germans. The delay In marketing
the supply this year is probably due to the
excessive freight traffic on the various rail-
roads which is extraordinary even for this time
Of year.
The difficulty of procuring the annual supply
OF trees becomes more pronounced eVery year,
because the shippers have 70 60 further and
further every season from the railroad 10 get
them. The woods in the vicinity OF the rail-
roads have been denuded of the kind of trees
required for this purpose In previous years. The
task OF hauling them 70 the nearest road is
troublesome one, and from that point 1t is often
q long haul on the wagon TO the freightcar.
Formerly a good many trees were shipped
down the river on boats but now our supply
all comes by way Of the New-TOrk Central
Railroad. The trees for the NewYork market
are shipped from Maine and New-York State,
those from the latter place being quite equal to
the Eastern article. They are mostly balsams.
with few spruce trees among them. These
trees would be of no use for timber. because
they are underszed products of the woods, and
would never attain any considerable dimensions.
The trees come in carlots, each car containing
from four hundred 10 six hundred punches.
Each bunch contains from TWO 10 SIX trees, dc-
cording 10 size. The bunches vary in price at
Wholesale from 90 cents 10 50. the large punches
being worth 81 foot.
The large trees are principally in demand for
churches schools and stores while the medium
sized ones are bought for family use The trees
are reshipped from NewYOrk TO many outside
points. This year we are sending quantity OF
them 10 Porto Rico and Cuba. also Texas
and Florida, but ii is too far 10 send them 70
the Philippines The wholesale market is in
Washington-st., the trees being delivered in
of TOhp'S Park ThrtV-thiTd-St and
sxteth-st. on the North River. Considerably
over million trees are needed for this market
alone.
Another large dealer IN Christmas trees, who
has branch in Chicago. said:
great number of trees for the Eastern mar
ket are shipped from Wisconsin, and the diff
Guilty in getting a sufficient supply Of fine trees
10 meet the demand increases yearly. Millions
OF trees used in this country every Christ
mas, and owing to the rapid clearing Of the
forests Of the West they are becoming scarcer
and scarcer each season.
Theodore Hoffman,, OF Milwaukee, who is the
most extensive dealer in Christmas trees In that
city, writes me that he will break all records
this year in the number shipped TO the Eastern
markets His men are now at work IN MARI
nette County, fully seventy miles north or Green
Bay and also in Florence County In former
years he had no difficulty in securing all the
trees required for his trade from the swamps
above Green Bay. near Marinette, but now a
small army Of men are dispatched on long trips
into the backwoOds. and II is necessary 10 estab-
nsh camps for them during these expeditions
MI HOfmann's output this year Will be about
million trees half Of which will be shipped
70 Eastern points. He says that at the rate
!ae trees have been disappearing or late years
there Will be q Christmas tree famine IN nVe
W ten years
There are few persons at the present time
making speciality Of raising these trees Tor J
lhe market, but he thinks that II VIII be made ,
regular business, possibly before the shortage |
seeomes too pronounced. That the Industry |
ahich would require little labor ana little outlay
ftql, ,la no emf
.s,hs no doubt II is the good trees or when |
mere Is growing scarcity. the best being
suhed out every year and the poor ones left |
standing
me holly used In this part Of the United |
''a'es comes from Maryland and Virginia none |
Deins Imported from Europe The price OF 1t |
sA9O barrel or 81 a box. wholesale
Inc American mIstletoe is so poor that 1t is
not worth marketing. the supply being obtained
ifom Normandy, where business is made of
s.SSluvating It, This parasite is raised by sowing |
i,s i setQ IN various kinds OF trees. Much OF |
60 crown T on the apple trees In pppin orchards'
az iu All KINDS OF old tree stumps are utilized Tor
Hle he purpose The cultivation Of nistletoe should
,b P'UHldo oe' as ii fetches a nigh price When |
. 80 na 20 scarcity in the market At such times
rn,on weighing hundred pounds fetches as |
LL.toh -. as s4O wholesale although when the mar
o. "Ss gIutted the figure has been known 10 |
from SIX as s g. case the average price being
-, "VuIo De represented by an insignificant bunch |
OF mistletoe.
,e me other supplies used for Christmas decora- ,
v,, are ground pine, laurel, hemlock and arbor ,
&c tes IOpihss, the plain selling from - TO 80 a |
10 ussssIed ss YARDS and the fancy fetching from 81
- - so d hundred, at wholesale. The heavy roping |
,s used for church decorations, while the lighter
N NJ, IN demand for home purposes
mItmn a tew days all the supply Of green
,he'eslaI for Christmas will be In the hands OF |
.e .ne dealers in this city, and at the present |
Tiie Th large shipments are being received daily.
A"ey are no sooner received than they sent