The Greeley tribune., 1907-12-26
XMAS TREES
q. S. FORESTER GIVES IN
TERESTING STATISTICS
Shows that the Beautiful Gus
tom May Continue without
Loss to the Forests of
This Country

The United States Forest service,
after an exhaustive investigation Of
the question of cutting small trees for
Christmas trees from the forests, and
find that far from being detrimental
to the forests, the drain from this
source is SO infinitesmal, that it is
not worth noticing. when compared
with the destruction caused by forest
fires, or wasteful numbering.
That will be good news to every
lover of the Christmas tree, and that
means practically every civilized hu-
man being. 1t is estimated that
100000 Christmas trees are used in
this country every year, one in every
fourth family II planted four feet
apart these could be grown on less
than 1,400 acres, a good size farm.
Trees suitable for Christmas trees
do not grow in the old forests where
reproduction is most important, but IL
the open. The government foresters
recognize the fact that indiscriminate
cutting of certain classes of small
evergreen trees has in many sections
produced a bad effect, upon the tim
ber supply of anumber of merchant
able species. But this has been due
largely to improper forestry manage
ment.
That the use of Christmas trees Ia
perfectly compatible with the welfare
of the forest is fully proven in Ger
many where, with highly developed
forest policy, the per capita consunlp
tipn OF tChristmasstrees Is the greatest
The cutting of small trees there for
that purpose is not looked upon at all
as menace to the forest, but on The
contrary, as a means of improving the
forest.
The wholesale use of spruce fOr
Christmas trees in some sections, Is
held by the forester as being some
what questionable, in view of the fact
that this is the best and most widely
used wood for the manufacture Of
wood pulp for white paper. The heavy
inroads on the supply of spruce in the
country is of vital interest to every
publisher, and it is to conserve this
valuable timber that President Roose-
welt has recently recommended tho
removal of the tariff on wood puAD
coming into the United States. The
cutting of great numbers of young
spruce for Christmas trees will in TIE
course of years have some effect upon
the supply of wood pulp, and this is
where the people can help. by using
some less valuable confer tree for
Christmas, rather than the valuable
spruce.
The center of the Christmas tree
industry lies in the big cities of the
east. New York City and the New
England states consume 100000
trees or nearly one-half of all the out
put. Maine. New Hampshire, the
Berkshire hills in Massachusetts,. the
Adirondacks and the Catskills in New
York are the sources of supply for
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Bal
timore and Washington. The swamps
of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota
furnish the markets of Chicago, st.
Paul. Minneapolis and Detroit.
Throughout the states of Ohio and
Illinois nurserymen supply the local
demand with nursery grown Norway
spruce.
Our own state of Colorado supplies
not alone its own demand, but largo
part of Kansas and Nebraska.
But taken as whole, the report Of
the government forester will be good
news to those who conscientiously de-
sire to preserve the forests of the
country, and yet are loath to give
up so beautiful and deep rooted q
custom as the Christmas tree.