The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-12-13

tanned Inc limbs are pound Town LlgnL 30 US
to save room in shipping. Then they are bound
together in lunches Of FIVE, this being convenient
for both shipment and sale. They go to market
In open cars that they may be kept cool and pos
BIbly damp, Otherwise their tips might wilt and
their attractiyeness thus be leBsened. They are
sold direct from the cars to retailers and these
make a point OF keeping them always In the open
air.
Throughout the southern states the supply Of
Christmas trees comes from the southern pine
that overruns the region. Ordinarily the markets
are supplied by the wagons Of the farmers, but
in the bigger cities they ONE In carload and
trainload lots. The fir is abundant in Colorado,
but 1t grows In high, inaccessible places, and
therefore the Douglas spruce and the l~odgepole
pine largely take its place. This Is largely true
OF all the Rocky Mountain states. In California
and the other Pacific Coast states the incense
cedar and the young coast redwoods are quite
generally used as Christmas trees. The swamps
Of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota furnish
the markets Of Chicago, 81. Paul. Minneapolis and
Detroit.
When the time is ready for the indoor use OF
the tree It is dug up and pared down to a graceful
piece Of earth as a base. Then a piece Of can.
vas or any other sort Of stout cloth Is bound
about the base to prevent crumbling of the earth
The whole Of this is then fitted into a box or tub
and Is ready to serve It's purpose in the house
~ 40 AibAO bNtlA hhd bSLl lIuDOIb lldI IL III
binary tree and never willis or droops. 1t Is in
reality q living tree.
When the festivities are over the tree Is taken
to the point where it is to be planted. A hole is
dug to fit Its base. This may be successfully ac-
complIshed even where the ground is frozen. The
tree is lifted from its tub, the cloth is taken from
around It's base and 1t is fitted again into the
earth from which 1t came. The protected roots
again take hold and the tree goes on growing
without eVan a kDOwlpdpn of ifa halliday ovna.
rience. II is In no way injured.
Nurserymen specially prepare frees for lust
this purpose, Individuals may do the same thing
with no more explanation than that given above,
Trees from the native woods around any village
may have their roots pruned In advance or they
may be dug up with no preparation whatever.
There is a better chance Of their fourishing when
they have been prepared for the transplanting.
But any evergreen dug up with q bit Of earth
about its roots should grow.
There Is also a manner Of permanently marking
trees without ~injuring them or interfering with
their growth. A tag fastened to a piece OF wire
will remain attached to a tree for a century.
This tag may be of metal and on It may be stamp
ed the date and whatever legend Is desired. The
home Of a growing family may thus be left with
a permanent monument Of all the C%hristmases
that have passed over the heads of the children
that have dwelt within 1t. When these return
to the ancestral hearth in their old age they can
recall the planting Of the trees and the events
that hover about the occasion in question. Incl.
d~entally, the landscape will have been beauti,
fed, and aside from the sentimental phase of 1t,
much valuable tlmber produced. "
The Christmas tree industry Of the United
States has assumed great proportions and Uncle
Sam Is making plans to place the industry upon
a permanently profitable basis through reforest.
ing large areas. Incidentally the new industry
has furnished an opportunity for hundreds of
boys and girls to earn their Christmas money in
a new way by harvesting the cones Of evergreen
trees.
or the nations forest land, S0,000,0O acres
are today covered with mature timber, while
&C, 900, 900 acres are well seeded with young
growth. This leaves 100, 600, 900 acres that are
either non.productive or only partly productive,
1t is for this 100, 100000 acres that seed are to
be gathered, and 1t is upon this vast expans"
that they are TO be planted until the whole 4
into its greatest possible yielding oapa
city, making It one Of the finest forests that TIN
world has ever known.