The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-18
GREENS ARE HERE
The Local Market Is Full of
Christmas Trees.
Merchants Are Expecting a
Record Breaking Demand.
ArUANnC 01nCpc ABE uEkVV
ADVANCE ORDERS ARE HEAVY
Many Parts OF Country Drawn
Upon for Supplies.
FRS From Wisconsin and Mis-
tIetOe From New Mexico.

The Christmas tree is here. Public
appearance at the grocery stores. flor
al shops and other marts where it is
ordinarily found is being delayed until
next week however. The big demand
for trees does not come until a few
days before Christmas and retail deal
ers hesitate 10 shove out the barrels
and casks that display other holiday
wares in order to make place for the
forests until they believe the ever
green purchasers are ready to place
orders.
But its inning will come early next
week Practically all retail dealers
Will move in their stocks Monday. And
from then until December "a Christ
mas tree business will be brisk Eggs.
rafey. sardines and other commodities
Of only passing note at best will be
lost 10 view altogether From the
front end of the shops they are to be
shifted back-far back For the far
Their back they can be sent. more is the
room available for the evergreen trees
and other holiday plants that make
their annual appearance at the same
time.
Advance orders for Christmas trees
have been heavy. local jobbers say.
They came 50 rapidly that rumors of
a shortage began TO gain ground and
wholesalers have been besieged by
anxious customers who feared to dis
appoint what appears to be a record
demand
No difficulty will be encountered
however. in meeting the demand. ac-
cording 10 Frank Cope. a prominent
Topeka jobber. Dealers continually
keep in touch with a source that can
b drawn upon in an emergency" Mr.
Cope says They remember custom
ers who have purchased large stocks.
If the customers have overstocked,
the surplus trees can be bought back.
\ limited number of trees can also be
secured from nurserymen in the state.
So there is no reason to expect a
shortage
Trees for the Home
General prosperity throughout the
state. however. has created an unus-
ual demand for Christmas trees and
the other plants that go with them"
says Mr. Cope Especially great has
been the demand for small trees and it
appears that more of them than ever
before Will be set up in Kansas homes.
on the other hand fewer trees are be-
ing purchased for churches and
schools
The Christmas evergreens that will
find their way into thOusa nds of Jay
hawk domiciles next week have been
assembled from various parts of the
country. Practically all the trees are
shipped from Wisconsin. which state
has for years had a monopoly of the
business due to favorable freight rates.
4 few Christmas trees come from
Michigan but Washington and Maine
the other two great forest states. are
unable 10 offer any effective competi- /
ton
The best holly sold in Topeka and
other Kansas towns comes from Della
ware From the same state also come
a number of evergreen wreaths- Most
OF the rnistletoe under which Kansas
maids will be kissed is a New Mexican
product
To the collection of Christmas
plants Kansas contributes Il wreath, of !
native arbor vitae. II is manufactured
at Bonner Springs and has for several I
years been on the local market Some /
large orders for the homemade dec
partment stores and it appears that /
the wreath IS coming into its own with /
the home guard
The Business Is Young.
The Christmas tree industry in J
America IS scarcely forty years old. +
sixty years ago. except in the homes 4
OF foreigners holiday trees were al
most unknown in this country The
Pennsylvania Dutch We're the first
TO cherish the custom They brought
II with them from their native land
About forty years ago a number of
duck hunters from New York who
were cruising along the coast of Maine
noticed the millions Of young baIsam
firs which grew along the shores. 1t
was then that one of the party con-
=fved the brilliant idea that they
would make excellent Christmas trees
Ihe abandoned farm" era had be- 4,