American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-12-12
III AIZy>

usage cannot be traced back farther than the sig
teenth century. 1t then existed only In the Rhine
valley. to which narrow limits 1t was restricted
for more than 200 years At the opening Of the
nineteenth century it spread to the rest Of Ger.
many. and fifty years later had reached Bohemia.
Hungary. Paris and England. German immigrants
had already brought the custom to our own coun-
try and here 1t has become SO popular that the
supply Of trees in the city markets Is never equal
to the demand
Linking the present with the dim pas, of I'M
numbered centuries. there will this Christmas be
displayed In American homes 5000, 600 evergreen
trees, There are about 10000. 900 families In the
United States. and one In four of these will make
the Christmas tree a part OF the celebration that
Ia at hand This does not mean that only these
will participate in the festivities Of the season.
for there Is still the stocking method of disuens-
Ing gifts. But In this great number of homes IL
has become the custom to use the trees In ac-
cordance with the old-fashicued custom of sturdy
rural Germany.
New York. the metropolis of the nation. uses
far more Christmas trees than any other city In
the world. Yet the city is so admirably located
from the standpoint OF available forests tha, the
supply Is always abundant and prices low. A
quarter Of a million Christmas trees are each year
brought to New York. and all Of them are sold
during the week before Christmas. Over on
Riverside Drive, where are the homes OF the
wealthy. expensive trees are sold These are
deliberately prepared. often being specially grown
FOR the purpose and bring prices as high as $50.
Yet the East Side gets Its due proportion. and so
abundant Is the supply that good shrubs may be
had for rs cents and so cents. The little trees
grow quickly and the farmers are often glad to
have them cleared on their land. As a result tia
people who count the pennies closely find the
Christmas greens within their reach.
Father Knickerbocker lives right In the midst
OF the most productive Christmas tree section
The state OF New York yields them abundantlv
Straight down from the Adircndacks they come
In trainioad lots Northern Pennsylvania also
produces them without stint. and so are all the
nearby cities guaranteed an abundance. All
through New England there is a general use of
the Christmas tree
For a month past there have been hundreds Of
men preparing the Christmas tree harvest for
the Youngsters who dwell in the towns and cities
In the smaller communities. provided the region
produces the right sort OF trees. the farmer him
self cuts them down and brings them to market.
He sells these trees to market men. to srccers.
70 florists and decorators They arc boag ht from
him By the uagonload and cost little Then they
are properly prepared and set upon the sidewalk.
But preparation for the larger markets are DIFF
lsreut In the hills around the greater cities
ready for Christmas Is begun two months
before the arrival Of the day to be celebrated.
In Maine for instance. the men go out In gangs
four They know their business. for they have
Ea,aeref this selfsame harvest for = generation
Insy have bought the trees az they stand In III.
1etd. paying the farmer fire cents each for them.
1 ne o1ft d the sree b sawed OF smoe1hfy and
painted OVER tn order that the mp may BE re-