The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-12-13

tatned. The limbs are bound down tight so as
to save room in shipping. Then they are bound
together in punches 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
sibly damp Otherwise their tips might wilt and
their attractiveness thus be lessened They are
sold direct from the cars to retailers and these
make 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 come 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 lodgepole
pine largely take It's 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 st. Paul, Minneap polls and
Detroit
When the time IS ready for the indoor use OF
the tree 1t Is dug up and pared down to graceful
piece of earth as base. Then 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 box or tub
and Is ready to serve its purpose in the house
1t is more solid and effective indoors than the or
binary tree and never willis or droops 1t is in
reality living tree.
When the festivities are over the tree Is taken
to the point where 1t is to be planted. hole is
dug to fit it's base This may be successfully &C.
complished even where the ground is frozen. The
tree is lifted from its tub the cloth is taken from
tic baca and 10 I'D ipt Ia
earth from which it came The protected roots
again take hold and the tree goes on growing
without even a knowledge Of its holiday expe-
rieuce. 1t Is In no way injured
Nurserymen specially prepare trees for just
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 better chance of their fourishing when
they have been prepared for the transplanting,
But any evergreen dug up with bit OF earth
about its roots should grow.
There Is also manner Of permanently marking
trees without njuring them or interfering with
their growth A tag fastened to piece Of wire
will remain attached to tree for a century.
This tag may be OF metal and on 1t may be stamp
ed the date and whatever legend Is desired, The
nome Oh d growing ldlnly uldy tIuS Dt lcll Win
a permanent monument Of all the Chrstmases
that have passed over the heads Of the children
that have dwelt within it. 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
dentally, the landscape will have been beauti.
fed and aside from the sentimental phase Of It,,
much valuable timber 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
OF the nations forest land, 100000 acres
are today covered with mature timber, while
4O,OoO,00O acres are we'll seeded with young
growth This leaves 100000 acres that are
either non.productive or only partly productive
1t is for this 1OOOoO0oO acres that seed are to
be gathered, and it is upon this vast expanse
that they are to be planted until the whole Is
developed into its greatest possible yielding capa
city making 1t one Of the finest forests that the
world has ever known.