Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-11
WINTER Harvest.
OF XMAS TREES
IN U. S. IS ON.
Origin Of Christmas Tree
Usage Is Difficult to
Trace

The great winter harvest Is at hand.
1T is a crop requiring from to 50
years to ripen. Arriving late by
single day it is worthless. yet Its fail
ure would mean sadness and disap-
pointment to all tho dwellers in child
hoodland. 1t Is the Christmas tree.
The history of Christmas tree usage
extends far into the mists&of antiquity
and it's origin Is difficult to trace.
endary Tree of Time. Ygdrasil, the
great tree OF Morse mythology, within
whose roots and branches heaven and
earth are bound. Some say the custom
may be traced to the Egyptians who.
at the time of winter soIstics, deco
rated their portals with branches of
the date palm-the symbol Of Iifs
triumphant over death.
An ancient legend or this Scandip-
avians relates how the Christmas tres
owes its origin to the service tree"
which sprang from svfi once drenched
with the blood of two slain lovers, and
how each night during the Christmas
season mysterious lights played among
It's branches. To this legend may per-
haps be traced our custom of illumin-
ating the tree when darkness comes.
Among the Greeks. Christmas 10 known
as the feast OF lights.
To people of different localities the
term Christmas tree may mean fir,
for each region makes use OF the most
suitable species found near it's mar
kets. In the vicinity OF Chicago
short-needle pine found In Michigan
and Wisconsin may be used. On The
Pacific Coast tho white FIR finds ia
vor, while throughout Ohio Norway
| spruce Is largely used. In MARYLAND
and Virginia the scrub pine finds its
way into many homes, and farther
south cedar and hollis. '+
| Ettf. hc bri iet fms Ia In, la q
balsam fir. or little Use for lumber.
| II possesses ideal characteristics for
holiday purposes-beautiful and syme-
trical with long horizontal branches
and deep green foliage each tiny leaf
and bud OF which sends out = breath
OF aromatic fragrance. .....-.,
Yearly a crusade Is started against
the Christmas tree Idea. usually pro-
testing tho waste of timber and the
destruction caused to our young
growth through their removal. The
Forest Service OF the United States
, Department Of Agriculture. In answer
to these protests. points out that g
900 Christmas trees arc used 40
nuaily within tho United States. Nov
England and New yo-e take 100000
trees. amounting to some 800 carloads.
Each year Christmas tree fleet
makes its way down Lake Michigan
with an evergreen tree at tho mast nf
each vessel In token OF thc cargo 1t
carries.
Five million trees Of the sizs used for
the holiday festival could be grown on
5000 acres Of land. The lumber indus
try cuts over n thousand times this
acreage in = single year. II or psc.u1-
ber &c. 1891. all the nations timber
cutters should begin work hours late.
the resulting decrease IN screBce sr-
nualiy cut would be equal TO the srca
exploited by the Christmas tree indus
try for tho entire ycsr
Tho annual cutting Of 100000 trees
In insignificant as compared with the
lioss thru forest fires which each year
sweeps over l2.o"o.onn acres. csreing =
yearly wastage Of about So. 900 con.
In addition. u is pointed out that tie
lands from which large portion Of
tho trees arc taken are often more suit
able for pasture and are NOR. saiu-
able after the timber crop has tscn re-
moved than they were before. In tne
European forests the removal OF Christ
mas trees IL made 10 serv. the welfare
OF tho forests when at the holiday sea-
son the cutting cf the small trees Is In
the nature Of an Improvement thin
ming and a, tho same time source Of
rev. uur. The removal of christmas
trees from our own national forests.
under the supervision Of Forest officers
not only places small profit in tho
nations pocket Zach year. but II re-
suits in moro healthy and faster
growing stand Of timber
II has been demonstrated that bv
cutting Christmae trees Of certain ever
green species above Tn. lower vhorl
of branches tho remaining limbs turn
abruptly upward and often reach
height cf feet In less than . wears.
II , crop Of Christmas tr-"1 can he
Gu, without actually j.stroylr. tn,
parent tree and new crop spr,utcd
within or years. tne system, riny
become Of considerable economic Inn
portarre to tho industry.