Arizona republican., 1921-11-30
By Frederic ]. Haskin

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2s.-A large part of the state of Vermont is now a great Christmas tree farm, accord ing to the American Forestry asso- ciation, and one which is being bad ly overworked. This state furnishes annually about 5,000,000 trees for decorative purposes. These trees are by far the most profitable crop which many hill sections of the state can grow, but unless the cutting is better regulated, the association says, the crop will be exhausted. Reforesta- ton of large areas and better fire protection are also needed.
 The association gives us a most interesting account of all the ever green plants which suddenly invade the cities about this time of the year. Christmas trees, it says, are mostly either frs or spruces. The balsam fir is unquestionably the best known and most widely distributed of our native frs. It is one of the most beautiful evergreen trees native to North America. It frequents bogs, swamps and other wet places. The Ralsam fir is a tree which satisfies many human wants, but the greatest of all its gifts is the Christmas tree. As a Christmas tree it has no su- perior.
 ne EuTuptdH 1lIs SO COlutliOl throughout many parts of continental Europe, has many characteristics in common with our balsam fir. It, too. has been used for centuries as a Christmas tree.
 Careful examination of the trunk of the balsam will reveal a large number of little blisterlike sacs of balsam. If one takes a knife and punctures them the balsam will flow RoI zx-ha ic used in our scientific laboratories to attach cover glasses to microscopic slides. Balsam is regarded as an ex- cellent medicine in the treatment or throat and pulmonary troubles. Many mountaineers collect the bal sam from the blisters on the trees and then store it away for family use. It is common practice in the north woods to collect large quantities of balsam leaves and use them in fill ing pillows and cushions, for the leaves when dried emit very frag- rant balsam odor. The wood is soft, does not contain resin passages and ranges in color from white to brown. It weighs about 24 pounds per cubic foot and is used extensively in the manufacture of paper pulp, crates and packing boxes.
 There are 20 different kinds of spruce trees in the world All of them are beautiful evergreen trees. They occur in every country in the northern hemisphere. Eight of them are native to North America, three being found in the eastern part and five in the western part of the coun- try.
 The Christmas holly can readily De recognized at all seasons of the year by its deep green leaves, which are armed with spines along the margin. The leaves are bright and they often reflect Ugh. as mirrors The small bright red berries are also helpful! means of identification in fall and winter. An old manuscript in the British museum states that the holy hath berys as red as any rose. De vout people regard the leaves of the holly as a symbol of the Savior s crown of thorns.
 The holly wreath is attractive and popular, but unfortunatel. the meth ods of collecting. the branches arc very destructive. In many instances the tops of the trees are cut out com pletely, leaving nothing but an erect bare trunk. We need the holly sprlg flor decorative purposes at Christmas the American Forestry association says, but in order that a future sup ply may be insured, special steps must be taken at once to regulate the cutting in such a way that all the existing trees may continue tc produce annually an abundant supply of thrifty branchlets.
 The American holly, also called Christmas holly, and the closely re- lated European holly, are linked in separably with our Christmas tradi- tions. Many people arr familiar witf the holly leaves and berries, but lew of them know that they grow upon trees which are common in the coastal plains regions of the South and found locally as far north as Pennsylvania and along the Atlantic cost to southern Maine.
 While the Christmas holly may reach a height of 50 feet and diam eter of to feet in Arkansas and Texas, it rarely exceeds 20 feet IT height and a few inches in diameter q the extreme northern part of it natural range.
 Another Christmas gift of the forest is the mistletoe. It is the only parasitic plant that is used for adorn-