The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1912-12-13

tanned The limbs bound down tight SO as
to save room in shipping Then they are bound
together in punches of Ave 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
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 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 Christmas trees. The swamps
OF Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota furnish
the markets of Chicago. st. Paul. Minneapolis and
Detroit
When the time is ready for the indoor of
the tree 1t is dug up and pared down to graceful
piece of earth base. Then piece of can
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
binary tree and never willis 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 A hole is
dug to fit its base. This may be successfully ac
complshed even where the ground is frozen. The
tree is lifted from Its tub the cloth is taken from
around its base and 1t is fitted again into the
earth from which 1t The protected roots
again take hold and the tree goes growing
without even knowledge of its holiday expe-
rience. 1t is In way injured.
Nurserymen specially prepare trees for Just
this purpose. individuals may do the same thing
with more explanation than that given above
hp
may have their roots pruned in advance they
may be dug up with no preparation whatever.
There is better chance OF their flourishjng when
they have been prepared for the traIsplanting.
But any evergreen dug up with bit of earth
about its roots should grow.
There is also a manner of permanently marking
trees without injuring them interfering with
their growth tag fastened to piece OF wire
will remain attached to a tree for century.
This tag may be of metal and on 1t may be stamp
ed the date and whatever legend is desired. The
home of growing family may thus be left with
permanent monument of all the Christmases
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
dentally. the landscape will have been beauti-
fled. 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
permanently profitable basis through reforest-
Ing large areas. Incidentally the new industry
has furnished an opportunity for hundreds of
boys and girls to their Christmas money in
new way by harvesting the of evergreen
trees
OF the nations forest land. 100000 acres
are today covered with mature timber, while
100000 acres well seeded with young
growth, This leaves 100 900 that are
either non-productive only partly productive.
1t is for this 10O00OOOO acres that seed are to
be gathered, and 1t is upon this vast expanse
that they are to be planted until the whole is
developed into its greatest possible yielding capa
city. making it one of the finest forests that thu
world has known