Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-01-06
-FOUR MILLION
CHRISTMAS TREES
SUCH IS NUMBER USED IN THE
UNITED STATES EACH
YEAR.
AND THE FEDERAL FOREST
SERVICE FORTUNATELY Ex-
PRESSES ITS APPROVAL.

been called upon to supply about four
million Christmas trees, and again
many persons have asked themselves
and have queried the United States
forest service, rs the csutom a men
ace to the movement for forest pres.
eryation?"
In the millions of happy homes over
the country where the younger gen.
Grafton has made the Christmas tree
the center of play since early Friday
morning there are many mothers and
fathers who have given the question
more or less thought From Sunday
schools and other organizations also,
which hold annual CT celebrations
around gayly trimmed evergreens for
the benefit of the little ones. has
come the question whether it is con
sistent to urge conservation of forest
resources and then to cut millions OF
young trees every year to afford a lit
tie JOY in the passing holiday season.
Yes. 1t is consistent and proper
that the custom should be main
tanned, is the answer of United states
Forester Clifford Pinchot In every
case. Trees, he says are for use,
and there is no other use to which
they could be put which would con
tribute so much TO the joy of man as
their use by the children on this one
great holiday of the year"
He adds that the number of trees
cut for their use each year is utterly
insignificant when compared to the
consumption for other purposes for
which timber is demanded Not more
than four million Christmas trees are
used each year, or one in every fourth
family. If planted four feet apart they
could be grown on less than 500
acres. This clearing of an area
equal to a good-sized farm each
Christmas should not be a subject of
much worry when it is remembered
that for lumber alone it is necessary
to take timber from an area of more
than 100000 acres every day of the
year.
II is true that there has been seri-
Gus damage to forest growth in the
cutting of Christmas trees in various
9 lions of the country. particularly
IN the Adirondacks and parts of New
england, bur in those very sections
the damage through cutting of young
evergreens for use at Christmas is
declared to be infinitesimal when com
pared with the loss of forest re-
sources through fires and careless
methods of hum bering The proper
remedy is not to stop using trees but
TO adopt wiser methods of use.
II is generally realized that a GER
tain proportion of land must always
be used for forest growth, Just as for
other crops. Christmas trees are one
form of this crop. There is no more
reason for an outcry against using
land TO grow Christmas trees than to
grow flowers says Mr. Pincrot. The
forest service upholds the Christmas
tree custom, but recognizes at the
same time that the indiscriminate cut
ting of evergreens to supply the holt
day trade has produced a bad effect
upon many stands of merchantable
kinds of trees in different sections of
the country. Waste and destruction
usually re suit when woodlands are not
under a proper system of forest man
agement. Fcresters say that it is not
by donying ourselves the wholesome
pleasure of having a bit of nature in
the home at Christmas that the prob.
lem of conserving the forests will be
solved, but by learning how to use the
forests wisely and properly. The ray
ages through forest fires must be
chs cked, the many avenues of waste
of timber in its travel from the woods
to the mill and thence to the market
must be closed and almost number
less important problems demand at
tention before the Christmas tree.
Germany has the highest developed
system OF forest management of any
country, yet its per capita use o
NA4A ipA mas " Ft 40 dhCoN- uF LuL
ing Of small trees for Christmas ii
not there considered in the least as {
menace to the forest. but, on the con
trary, as a means of improving th'
| forest by thinning and as a source 0
revenue. II is therefore constant!
encouraged.
Mr. Pinchot believes there is litti'
| doubt but that the time will COM
when the Christmas tree business
will become a recognized industry il
this country, and that as much atter
ton will be given to the growing o
crops OF timber for other uses. Thi
time may not be far off. for 1t Is a
eady understood that only throug
the practice of forestry. which mean
both the conse ryation of the timbe
which remains and carefully planne
syst ems of reforestatiOn. win 1t
possible to supply the country wit
It's forty billion feet of lumber needle
each year. a. well as the few millio
little trees used at Christmas time.
OPPOSES PUBLICITY LID.