Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-27
FORESTS NOT MuTiLArEo
IN ANNUAL HARVEST OF
CHRISTMAS TREES

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When you light the candles on your
Christmas tree Friday evening II you
are one OF those people who still defy
the safety first. rules and use candles
on your trees will you give thought
to where the tree comes from? When
you sit around, after the excitement
is over. and let your mind idly dream
will you conjure UP the picture OF the
big forest and the little tree ruthlessly
slaughtered to furnish you few hours
pleasure? Maybe the thought will not
strike you until you take 1t down .
few days later and cast 1t into the alley
or break It up to be burned. Then
maybe you will give 1t q feeting
thought of regret that so many millions
of young fir trees are sacrificed each
year for a little matter of sentiment.
But IL you shed any tears, no matter
how tiny. over the untimely end OF
what might some day have become
mighty and majestic pine you will be
wasting sympathy for the chances are
good that your little, pitied tree came
from a hot house and never was any
closer to the great forests than you
are
The fact is that in some parts OF
the country large number Of people
get most of their living by the raising
of evergreens for the Christmas trade.
This is most particular and painstak-
ing work.
Grown From Seed.
The seed. which comes from Europe,
Is sowed thickly in beds about three
feet wide and as long as convenient or
desirable The beds are raised above
tn level of the ground about three
inches in order TO give good drainage.
When the seeds are put in the ground
the beds are given a thoro wetting and
covered with fine sand and shaded
either by muslin or lattice work made
of lath with three inch meashes. These
covers are raised about eighteen inches
above the beds in order to give plenty
of air and to protect the little trees
from the sun. when the seeds ger
inmate they send up little shoot that
is capped by the empty seed hull which
is very attractive to the birds, and
strips of muslin must be stretched
along the sides to keep them out
Many to the Square Foot.
The number of tiny trees that will
thrive on a square foot OF soil Is as
tonishing, sometimes being as many as
SOC. At one year old they are about
Two inches high and after two years
in these beds they are transpianted to
beds. still sheltered, but by brush laid
on wires stretched from posts seven or
eight feet high. here the little trees
are cultivated as one would care for a
bed OF onions.
Here the trees have more room. grow
good roots and unless transplanted
again make somewhat rapid growth.
The kind OF trees used for Christmas
in the cultivated groves are white and
Norway spruce. They grow more sym
metrtcal than any other except the
blue spruce. and they would be too ex-
penstve as they retail from nursery
for four or five times as much as other
evergreens. When the trees are OF the
proper size they are cut and marketed.
Cutting the Wild Trees.
In the gathering OF the wild trees q
place Is located In the summer time
where the trees are plentiful and SYM
metrical About the middle Of October
the camping outfit LIS taken to the
woods where regular camp is made
with supply OF provisions. cooking
outfit. tents. etc. After the camp Is
made the roads to the trees and out
to the highway are prepared This is
sometimes a big job as long stretches
Of swampy land have 10 be corduroyed
by chopping the small trees and throw
ing them across the intended roadway
and covering with a good layer OF
earth. When all things are in readi-
ness. II the weather Is mild. the men
put in their time hunting or lounging
about camp until good hard freeze
comes, for without freezing weather
the sap or pitch OF the trees will not
go down and the needles will fall soon
after the trees are cut. The trees are
cut and tied in bundles, varying In
number. according to size. Two
thousand trees will make a standard
carload
Some 1000. 900 trees are used every
year to supply the United States at
Christmas time. Germany uses more
Christmas treest per capita than any
nation and the government has such
perfect system OF reforestation that
the evergreen supply is more than
abundant.
black or white spruce. The blue
spruce grows only in the Rockies and
Is not used. The supply for this sec
woods OF Minnesota and Wisconsin.
where there are vast tracts OF the
bright green spruces that make glad
the hearts at Christmastide.
Mistietos and Holly.
Along with the Christmas festivities
there was once q big demand for holly
and mistletoe but the introduction OF
artificial holly wreaths has lessened
the demand for the genuine article
and many dealers Go not handle 1t
where once they sold large shipments.
The main supply comes from Delaware
where it seems to grow more perfect in
form and color and Is abundant, altho
there is bountiful supply In Ken
lucky. AS to the demand and supply
Of mistletoe. once so inseparable from
Christmas. there Is comparatively little
call for 1t now and the wholesale
dealers do not handle it at all. What
little il sold by the retailers cimes
to this section OF the country from