Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-11
100000 CHRISTMAS
TREES USED ANNUALLY
Department Of Agriculture
Declares There Is No Harm
in Ancient Custom.
GIVES NEW PASTURE LAND
"h"inIs Assert Largest Waste I'm
Lumber I:nch Year IL Cnuaru by
Forest Fires, Causing Loss OF
Si:.UUO.O0U Annually

'"reNt Fires, Causing Loss OF
Si.,UOO.DDU Annually.
WASlilNGTON. Dec. l0.-The great
winter harvest is at hand. II is II
crop requiring from i've to nifty
years to rin"n Arriving late by a
single day. II is worthless. yet its
i"iJr" would mean saduc = and dis
'Inphunen, To all the dw Here in
'h.idhoodirnd II is the Chfistmns
U".
The history Of Christmas tree
usage extends far into the mists Of
antiquity. and it's origin is difficult
10 trace. some say IL Is connected
with the legendary Tree Of Time
iEira@l. the grca, tree Of Morse
mythology. within Who's" roots and
branches heaven ana earth arc bound.
som" say the custom may be traced
To the Egyptians. who. "a, the time
OF winter solsticc, decorated their
portals with bran hog OF the date
ralm-the symbU! Of life Triumphant
oyer death
Legend OF Tree TX Ancient.
IN ancient LEGEND OF the Scandi-
hhNians relates how the Christmas
tree pwcs It's origin to In. service
lre"' which sprnnG from soil once
hrench"d with the blood ~ Two sam
i"E'r' ami how each ni.ht during
~" 'h-is'na4 season mysterious
liEhiG played among it's br4nca"4.
Io THIS legend may perhaps be traced
uIr custom az illuminating the tree
"hrh darkness comes Among the
GreckH. Christmas is known as the
ieast 81 lights"
i" p"ppl" OF different locailtics the
term Christmas tree may mean nr,
spruce. pine. ccdar or even magnolia.
Tor each region makes use OF the
most suitable species found noar ;ts
markets In the vicinity OF Chicago
short-ncedlc u!nc found In M!chi-
gan and Wisconsin may be used ON
IN" Pacific Coast tho whit. mr. nnhs
i"Npr. while throughout OHIO, Nor
way spruce is largely used In MARY
ihNd and Virginia the scrub pine
inas Us way into many homes. and
RATHER south cedar and hally
HHi the Christmas iiee a. luxe is
~" halsln ir or llttc use for liirn-
Der. b, possesses ideal characteristics
Tor holiday purrnscs-bcautiful ana
sym, riral, with long horizontal
branches and deep green foliage.
each ,iny leaf ana bud II whIcf s.nds
"N' d "'chih o! aromatic fragrance.
Crusade Started lcnri,
Yearly "a crusii 's start. d against
tho Christmas tree idon usually pro-
testing IN" waste ~ tim ar and the
obstruction caused - our ycun.
rTo~th through their removal Tho
Forest Service % thu, United states
Department Of Agriculture. in an
F""r I" these protests. points out
that 100000 Christmas trees arc
Hsei annually within Tho United
states Now England ana Ncw York
take 100000 trees. amounting TO
como 800 Carlnads Each year a
80 hris'mas tree nsc;" makes it, way
'""n LAX" Michigan with m ever
green tree at the mast OF "a II ves-
~! ~ token Of tho cargo /, car
i',F
Five million trees OF the size used
iHT IN, holiday festival could /.
EH""n pu 1000 acres or land IN"
.aWocr Industry cuts over 1000
tIm'" this acrcar" in singh. year.
AZ on December %, 1921. all the ma
TOMS timber cutters should BEGIN
rh two hours late. the resulting
" or"dS" ~ acr age annually cut
rs Eli bc equal TO Tic area exploited
l.E 40" Chg!stmas-trcc Industry for
tn entire yoar
Tho annual cutting OF 5000. 600
trees rs insignificant al compared
Win Tic loss through forest nrcs
which ench year sweeps over 1000
Zoo acrcas. causir; yearly w.,stugc
%; about s!0,c0O.0OO
Suitable for Pastures.
Iu addition. II is pointed ont that
Oi tlr trees are taken are often more
suitable Tor pasture and are NOR.
valuable aftrr the timber crop has
boon removed than they were before.
la the European forests til. removal
az Christmas trees Is made To serve
tho welfare OF the forests when ut
the holiday season the cutting OF III.
SINAI! trees Is in The nature Of an
Improvement thinning and at the
same time a source OF revenue The
removal OF Christmas trees from
our own national forests. under the
supervision of forest officers. not only
places small pront in the nations
pocket each year, but ii results in
q more healthy ana faster growing
stand of timber.
II has been demonstrated that T.
cutting Christmas trees Of certain
evergreen species above the lower
wnori OF branches the remaining
limbs turn abruptly upward and Of
ten reach a height Of six feet in
less than two years. If a crop OF
christmas trees can be cut without
actually destroying the parent tree
and new crop sproutcd within two
or three years, the system may be-
come OF considerable economic i'm
portancc to the industry.
But so far as disseminating the
Christmas tree is concerned. the for
csicrs are against II. Their creed
is to put each acre OF ground and
every tree to it's highest use. and to
what better use can tree he put,
they ask than to bring joy 10 the
hearts Of children on their greatest
holiday.