The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-23


 the season. Florists estimate that at least this number have been brought into this city and from the brisk way in which they have been selling the last few days they anticipate that they will be practically sold out be- fore tomorrow night.
 Most of the Christmas trees being sold in Bridgeport this year are of the Balsam fir, which come from the fields of Nova Scotia and Cape Ere ton. These are not from the timber lands, but from the fields, consequent ly future lumber is not being destroy ed In cutting them for this purpose.
 The other variety of tree, the spruce, comes from Northern Yer dug up with the roots and come from nurseries where they are raised for this purpose. The biggest demand here is for the trees from to 12 feet in height.
 There is not much holly in town as holly is becoming more and more a few years 1t will be practically ex- tinct. The nnistletoe and poinsetta are very plentiful and there is a brisk sale of these as gifts.
 story about the Christmas trees where they come from, how many and the means used to bring hun dreds of train loads of them to the markets.
 But the Christmas tree and the hol- . ly and the other greens which go so
 
 mosphere" are doomed to extinction unless some means are taken to re- produce them. The state of Vermont alone furnishes 5,000,000 trees for the Eastern markets each Christmas time and unless means are taken to conserve and reproduce the supply some time will be exhausted. The American Forestry Association has is sued Christmas tree monograph on the subject.
 '"The first step to save the Christ mas greens" 1t says, "is better fire ting by vendors who never go into the woods except at this season and the 'holdup' prices in big cities are denounced. On the other hand, proper cutting aids the growth of the larger trees and if properly done is a help. The holly Is being cut by the minimizing in a way that borders on cutting will save this valued green for the holiday season.
 "Ten of the 25 kinds of fir trees found in the world are native to Pacific slopes and in the Rocky Mountain regions, and only two are found in the Eastern United States, one one of these-Fraser's Fir-is limited to the high mountains of Vir- ginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Most important in the Western group are the Grand Fir, Nobel Fir, White unquestionably the best known and most beautiful evergreen trees native to North America It frequents bogs, it's chief associates are the American Larch. Arbor Vitae, Black Spruce and Red Spruce. It's companion species are not many for few trees can with stand the extreme wet and cold con ditions of our northern bogs and swamps.
 '"The Balsam Fir is a tree which satisfies many human wants. but the aSf nf n1 off fS ha iris r. mas tree. As a Christmas tree it has no Suerfor, and In many localities no other native tree has Christmas tree qualities that even approach 1t. The European Fir, so common through out many parts of Continental Bu- rope, has many characteristics in too, has been used for centuries as a Christmas tree. The similarity be- tween these two trees is very marked. which may have helped develop our high regard for the Balsam Fir and rate it as the foremost Christmas tree of the Eastern United States.
 ''On the trunk of the Balsam will be found a large number of little biis- terlixe sacs of balsan. A finger nail will puncture the little blisters and there will flow a small quantity of balsam. as clear as crystal. When refined, this is used in making micro scopic slides in our scientific 1abora- tories. It is used chiefly to attach cover glass to the slides. Balsam is
  cine.
 "Cones and buds of the Balsam Fir are also very distinctive. The buds are almost round, about one-sixth of an inch long, clustered at the end of the twig and appear to be covered with a coating of Varnish. The cones are from two to four inches long, cy- Iindrical, and stand erect on the twigs. Their scales fall off soon after they reach maturity and leave a bare cen tral axiz. This is an unusual habit among evergreen trees. In the North woods many collect the leaves and use them in filling pillows and cush- ions for the leaves when dried emit n very fragrant odor. The wood is soft, does not contain resin passages and ranges in color from white to brown. It weights about 24 pounds per cubic foot and is used extensively in the manufacture of paper pulp, crates and packing boxes.
 'aThere are 20 kinds of Spruce trees and they occur in every country in the Northern Hemisphere. Eight are native to North America, three five in the western part.
 Deep green leaves which are arm tinguish Christmas Holly. The leaves are so bright and they often reflect light as mirrors The small bright red berries are also a helpful means of Identification in fall and in win ter. An old manuscript in the British Museum states that the Holy hath berys as red as any rose. DeVout people regard the leaves of the holly as a symbol of the Saviour's crown of thorns.
 t'Unfortunate1y the methods of col 1ecting the branches Is very destruc- tive In many instances the tops of the trees are cut out completely. leav- ing nothing but an erect bare trunk. We need the holly sprig for decora- tibe purposes at Christmas, but in orde- that a future supply may be in sured, special steps must be taken at a way that all the existing trees may continue to produce annually an abundant supply of thrifty branch lets.
 Christmas Holly, and the closely re- lated European Holly, are linked with our Christmas traditions, Many peo- pie are familiar with the holly leaves and berries, but few of them know