Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-01-16
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rsooo cannot he traced back farther than the six
teenth century 1t then existed only In the hnine
valley to which narrow limits it was restricted
for more than 200 years. At the opening Oh inc
nineteenth century 1t spread to the rest OF uer-
many and fifty years later had reached bonehiia'
Hungary Paris and England German Immigrants
had already brought the custom to our own coui
try and here 1t has become so popular that tne
supplv of trees In the city markets Is never equai
to the demand.
Linking the present with the dim past OF I'M
numbered centuries there will this Christmas Dc
displayed in American homes 5.O00OOO evergreen
trees. There are about 100000 families In the
limited States and one in four Of these Will make
the Christmas tree part OF the celebration tna'
is at hand This does not mean that only tnese
will participate In the festivities or the season.
for there is still the stocking method OF dspens-
ing gifts But In this great number OF homes II
has become the custom to use the trees III ac'
cordance with the old-fashioned 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 tnat tne
supply is always abundant and prices low
quarter of million Christmas trees are each year
brought to New York and all of them are sold
during the week before Christmas over Oh
riverside Drive where are the homes OF the
wealthy expensive trees are sold. lhese are
eIaboratey prepared, often DelnS speClaHy sio"H
for the purpose and bring prices as high as sou
Yet the East Side gets It's due proportion ana so
abundant is the supply that good shrubs may De
had for Is cents and so cents The little trees
grow quickly and the farmers are often glad 10
have them cleared off their land. AS result tne
neonle who count the pennies closely ma the
christmas greens within their reach.
rather Knickerbocker lives right in the midst
NJ the most productive Christmas tree section
Tho state of New York yields them abundantly
straight down from the Adirondacks they come
In trainIoad lots Northern Pennsylvania also
nroduces them without stint. and so are all the
nearby cities guaranteed an abundance All
through New England there Is general use OF
the Christmas tree.
For month past there have been hundreds OF
men preparing the Christmas tree harvest TOT
the Youngsters who dwell in the towns and cities
In the smaller communities provided the reglor
nroduces the right sort Of trees. the farmer him
sci, cuts them down and brings them to market
He sells these trees to market men, to grocers
To florists and decorators They are bought IRON
him nv the wagonload and cost little. Then the.
are properly prepared and set upon the sidewalk
But preparation for the larger markets are oil
ferent In the hills around the greater elite
making ready for Christmas 10 begun two month";
before the arrival Of the day to be celebrated
In Maine for instance, the men go out In gang
~ four They know their business. for they hav
gathered this self-same harvest for generation
They have bought the trees as they stand In tn
Geld payinR the farmer fve cents each for then
rrha hutt of the tree Is sawed on smoothly an
neinted over In order that the sap may be n