Evening star., 1928-12-23
Oldest Christmas
Tree.
BY ISABELLE FLORENCE STORY.

THE oldest Christmas tree the world
has ever known is the Gen. Grant
tree, hoary old sequoia giant growing
on the Pacific slopes of California's
Sierra Nevada. Three years ago this
tree was dedicated as the Nations
Christmas Tree" and interesting cere-
monies held at its base at noon on
Christmas day. So successful was the
first celebration that 1t became an an
nual event and this year the fourth an
nual program bids fair to surpass all
that have gone before
Last years ceremonies were the most
impressive vet held. In the presence of
over 1000 people a message was read
from President Coolidge carrying the
greetings of the Nations Chief Ex-
ecutive to the people of the West, and
Gov. Young of California made the
principal address. In addition to these
two features and the invocation and
benediction by visiting clergymen. the
program included musical selections
consisting of carols. solos and choral
numbers. Since the Gen. Grant tree is
located in a national park, the park
superintendent, Col John r. White,
gave the address of welcome.
1t was desired to broadcast this pro-
gram. but mechanical difficulties de-
-veloped in getting a radio hook-up
into the High Sierra where Gen. Grant
Park is located Therefore, duplicate
program was given Mt San Francisco
and broadcast. reaching a possibi,
audience of 100000 people.
The old tree, which now forms the
central feature of this Christmas cele-
bration, was already mature tree per-
haps 1000 years when the star led the
shepherds and wise men to Bethlehem.
1t was taller then than now, for it was
in its early maturity and who knows
but that its highest branches reaching
hundreds of feet toward the sky caught
gleam from the brilliant star as it
sped on its way toward Bethlehem?
Although now estimated as Son1e-
where between 5000 and 1000 years of
age, and perhaps older, the ancient tree
is still vigorous. 1t is now 1865 feet in
height, despite the fact that its top
most branches long ago were struck by
lightning and torn off. How much
higher it once was. no one knows. Dur
ing the course of the centuries many
fires caused by lightning have Scared
its sturdy trunk and killed some of its
branches At its greatest base diameter
the tree measures 40.3 feet, but it mar
rows in to 21.7 feet in diameter aboge
the bulge.
The species to which this tree be-
longs is the Sequoia gigantea. popularity
referred to as the big Trees" Now they
grow nowhere else but ON the Pacific
slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain
range in California. although scientific
Investigations of fossil tree deposits
show that centuries ago, possibly in
prehistoric times. when milder climate
prevailed, they occurred in many widely
separated places. ranging from what is
now Yellowstone National Park to Asia.
The age of the Big Trees Is not mat
ter of conjecture. Trees that have fallen
from natural causes have been sawed
across and count made of their rings,
each of which indicates year In the
life history of the tree. On one fallen
monarch of the forest, John Muir. the
famous naturalist, actually counted
4 1000 rings. and trees showing an age
of 2,500-years are not uncommon
Prof. Ellsworth Huntington of Yale
made study of the Big Trees several
years ago and gave us some interesting
figures He states that among the
down trees he studied. 79 were over 1000
years of age, were over 5000 and
was a veteran of $3.50 years. 1t is by
with these trees of which
the age is known. and studying the
rate of growth of the young trees, that
the age of the older living sequoias is
estimated.
In order to protect the last of the
Big Trees The Government has estab-
lished two Kstional parks, Seuuoia and
Gen. Grant, containing some of the
most interesting groves now left. In
Sequoia National Parl.. .Abne there are
scores of sequoia tees 20 to 80 feet In
with a few still larger and
thousands with diameter Of more
than 10 feet. This park contains the
Gen. Sherman tree, considered the
largest of them ALL Gen. Grant Park.
an area of only square miles contains
a magnificent grove of Sequoias in
addition to the one for which it Is
named. There are also three groves
Of the Big Trees In the Yosemite Ma
tionaf Park. One Of them contains the
famous Wawona tree, through which q
motor road runs.