Evening star., 1927-12-30
Appeals for Saving
OF Christmas Trees

To tn Editor OF The Star:
Why all the publicity for one Christ
mas tree, when thousands are killed
yearly?
Recently the Chevy Chase citizens
entered the first page of ali newspapers
due to some overenthuslastlc worker
cutting down very old tree on sup
posed TO be private ground for the COM
munity tree celebration Christmas eve
--rightfully, as such an affair should
never have occurred.
Year after year thousands upon
thousands OF trees are chopped down
Just for a few days affair. and thou
sands never even sold due TO the mer-
chant buying or cutting down more
than he can sell--if there IS anything
more sorrowful than TO see huge piles
of discarded trees. some pine, others
spruce. that have not been sold.
II Is not only the huckSter or the
wagon vender who goes out into the
woods and chops down fine pine, cedar
and spruce trees. some not as old as
the Chevy Chase tree (but a sapliEg
soon becomes q full size Ireel. SO tha,
age should not enter into the matter.
as 1t is a tree with a heart. just as you
and I, that has been torn down and
then on Christmas day becomes trash
TO be dragged TO the dump.
The tree celebration IS a very pretty
one given TO lis BY our forefatherS. but
an artificial tree decorated Is just as
pretty as "a live tree. or. better yet, is
there anything prettler than TO do as
many people have done who have
planted living cedar trees OH their lawn,
namely. 10 decorate the trees with lights
etc, and in that way bringing cheer 20
pasSers-by, and not only Tor the peo-
pie within. hope that your paper Will
encourage the buying OF more trees and
planting them. thus having tree not
one day but all the year. and 10 deco
rate them on Christmas.
The large trees Of the old days are
not used any more. but thousands Use
small trees due to small apartments,
A tree is Just as dear 10 the writer as
human being: like an animal i, Is
dumb. but trees can talk III their own
way, like an anlmal.
II former Gov Pinchot (who has
done so much fine work 20 preserve
our forests wants 10 do some good for
forestry. here is fine chance for him
TO start with Christmas trees. as not
only are the tree butchers devastating
our woods OF fine pines. cedars and
spruce, for future generations, but are
also endangerng the supply I lumber,
The tree butchers are also laying the
soil bare from which shrubs of under
growth encouraging floods,
My suggestion is 10 encourage the
planting OF trees. the use Of artificial
trees and. II live trees must be used, for
the authorities to make every one who
sells trees have a permit and allow them
to cut only 10 per cent more trees than
they sold the previous year and then
think you will find this waste Will be
stopped.
II the trees that remain unsold each
year could be used for lumber. IL n'isht
not be SO bad. but with exception oE y
few trees. most all on sale here are too
small 10 plane off for lumber, The
heartrendng part Of this tree kill
ing carnival every year Is 10 see the ash
wagon dragging fine trees 10 the dump
The JOY that comes 10 child Christ
mas morning with the gaysy decorated
tree Is something that should never ee
stopped. yet there are many WAYS this
can be taken care Of, as in these mod
ern days many changes have come
about, yet there Is as much. IL not more
Joy today than years aso, Think ol the
child when these trees are killed; when
they grow up they also want 90 enjoy
the beautiful woods as We do.
ALLEN V, d. FORD.