Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
The CHRISTMAS TREE
BALsAM FIR SUPERIOR TO BLACK
SPRUCE OR WHITE PINE.
A German Custom - New England
Adopted It From the Penn
sylvania Dutch.

From Country Life in America.
The best kind of Christmas tree is the bal
sam fir Its needles persist longer than
those of the black spruce. 1t is more SYM
metrical than the pine or arborvitae, and 1t
has strong, stiff branches capable of hold
ing a good load of presents. This last con-
sideration bars out the hemlock as one of
the best Christmas trees, but its dropping
and flexible sprays are admirable for mass
ing and for roping.
The Christmas tree industry is scarcely
thirty years old. 1t is natural for us to take
IT for granted that there have always been
Christmas trees, yet fifty years ago there
were few In America, save In the homes OF
foreigners. The Pennsylvania Dutch cher
ished the custom long before 1t was adopted
Iy New F,nglanders, and even IN ola Eng-
land as late as 1876 Coleridge spoke OF the
Christmas tree as an entirely German lnsi-
tuition About thirty years ago number
of duck hunters cruising along the coast ol
Maine noticed the millions OF young baisaln
frs which grew along the shores, and the
brilliant idea occurred TO one member oil the
party that these symmetrical eVersreens
would make excellent Christmas trees AT
this time the abandoned farm era had
begun, and it looked as if the whole state
would grow up TO frs. The balsam mr. USED
10 be a synonym for worthiessness. NOVA
0ays Canada balsam' is made from tms
tree, and thGuSdn nos Oh NstC<ttoii ''ui
gather its young twigs for "balSam pill
lows"
Profits Of the Trade.
Although the trees are bulky and rather
extensive to ship, there are large profits In
the business; for 1t is a poor acre OF III iaho
that will not yield five thousand trees, and,
allowing $40 an acre for stumpage, S3o an
acre for labor and carriage, and $40 an acre
for freight tho trees 90 not cost z cents
apiece delivered IN Boston OF New YORK In
the cities the trees bring from 20 cents to 50.
The Maine farmer gets to 70 cents Tor a
tree. For 10 cents the dealer expects per-
fectly straight symmetrical tree tully NJ
teen feet IN height
Unlike ALL or nearly all, the otner tHllst>
mas green's the fir tree industry seems to
have no Objectionable features. The bal
sam fir is too common, TOO widespread anu
too eager to grow to be In danger OF eX-
termina ton. In Maine foresting this for
merly worthless tree gives employment IN
the month of November to thousands OF
people who would otherwise be idle, and
puts into the pockets of the people of the
state every year something like $lco.OoO
Before the tree industry began the fir lands
were exempt from taxation because they
were worthless. 1t Is said that one couid
sometimes buy whole township tabout
28Nb0 acres) for 500 These same lands
are now worth SO to $l5 an acre for Christ
mas trees alonei
Fir Lands Reclaimed.
But this is only half the story. Lands
that are stripped OF young frs are easily
fitted for pasturing. The farmers have
, burned over the hillsides and sowed grass
seed among the ashes. Some Of these lands
sre now plowed and cultivated, and thus
thousands of acres of waste land have been
restored to agriculture. / doubt If there
is any parallel to such story.
The Christmas tree industry may be es-
tablshed wherever the balsam fir is enough
OIL weed" The work lasts all through
November. An early fall of snow Is a great
| disadvantage II the snow melts and
| freezes again 1t makes the branches too
! brittle for long-distance shipment. The
| trees will keep in good condition for five or
| six weeks after cutting. One man, an ex-
| pert. does the cutting. Another collects,
| sorts and ties. He wraps the branches
| closely to economize space and ties about
| FIVE medium-sized trees In a bunch. The
! trees in the open fields that are exposed to
! full sunlight are more symmetrical than
| those that grow in dense woods. Some
! farmers go so far as to thin out their fir
| Orchards" as the crowding of seedlings
| impairs the quality of the product. 1t
| takes about FIVE years from the seed to
produce salable tree.