Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05
y HE community tree idea is
spreading throughout the
country, says the American
Forestry Association. The fir

/
| country, says the American
| Forestry Association. The fir
| is the popular tree at this time OF
year for Christmas purposes. and this
tree is receiving many votes in the
associations tree referendum as to
what shall be our national tree. In
| the community tree there is the OPP
portunity to have a year-around re-
hinder of the community spirit, the
association points out, if the tree can
| be placed in a public gathering spot
Then, too, the tree is being used as a
memorial for the men of the war and
! for the benefactor of a municipality
| in many cases. The educational cam
paign of the American Forestry AS
ISOLATION has been extended into the
| schools, which are being made men,
! bers of the association by public spir-
tied citizens.
Every year comes up the question
of cutting Christmas trees. and the
association receives many letters in
regard to this practice. for the people
of the United States use something
like four and a half million trees al
Christmas time. This is not many
when the total population is consld-
cred. Intelligent cutting of the small
ier trees really aids the growth of the
more mature trees. In Europe cut
ting of small trees for Christmas is
| not considered menace to the forest,
| but as means for improving the for-
est and a source of revenue, ana is
constantly encouraged. Trees are Tor
use and there is no other use to which
they could be put that would contrib
ute SO much to the joy of mankind as
their use by children at the Christ
mas season. In the northeastern
states Christmas trees are cut from
ipasture lands on which they are en-
croaching or from land which would
be cleared up in the ordinary course
them gives the owners some return
! for their labor if nothing more.
Estimates show the New England
states and New York state take more
than a million trees. Black and red
! spruce are very commonly seen in
| celebrations in these parts of the
country. Illinois and Ohio nursery
! men partly supply tho local demand
,, with nursery-grown Norway spruce
Pines are in great demand for Christ
mas trees when fir and spruce are
not available. Maryland. Virginia
ana the DlStT1CI OF ColuHipld use tie
scrub pine. while in southern Wyom-
ing the lodge pole pine is almost the
only species available.
In the absence of other varieties
| hemlock is used. Its slender, springy
| branches are better adapted to the
manufacture of so-called fancy
green's Some arborvitae are shipped
| among frs and spruces to New York
and Philadelphia Red cedar is often
shipped to the treeless states and is
much used in tennessee and Penn
sylvania. In California red cedar and
incense cedar are not uncommon.
New Hampshire. Vermont, Maine,
the Berkshire hills in Massachusetts
and the Adirondacks and Catskills in
New York furnish the supply for
New York, Philadelphia and Boston,
and even for Baltimore and Wash :
ington. The swamps of Michigan
Wisconsin and Minnesota furnish the
markets of Chicago, st. Paul, Minne-
apolis and the cities of plains states,
Christmas tree ships bring greenery
from the upper peninsula of Michigan
to Chicago or Detroit. In the north