Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-11-27
New Work
Turns Money
Into Eureka
Christmas Tree Industry
Means Much to North
End of County.
SIS CARLOADS
WILL BE SHIPPED

EUREKA, Nov. 25.-Approximately
SIS carloads of Christmas trees will be
shipped from Lincoln county this fall
most of them to points east of tae
Mississippi, some to cities in the south
ern states and few to Canadian points.
The shipping points named include
Norfolk, Virginia; Pittsburg, Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Youngstown, Omaha, and
one or two in Canada. On sidin2s be-
tween Trego and Warland appruxi-
mately 50 cars will be loaded, 70 by
cutters selling to ]. Hofert of Puyallup,
Wash, and 10 by cutters selling to 6.
r. Kirk Company of Tacoma. All told
some 80 carloads will be shipped from
sidings between Sumers at the north
end of Flathead lake, and Warland. In
addition four or five cars will be
shipped from Troy. Each car shipped
carries on the average 1000 trees These
facts end others are learned from in
terviews with c. G. Sherman and Art
White, representatives of J. Hofert, and
with ]. E. Bath, representative of the
Kirk company
OF particular interest lust at this
time is the fact that the Kirk company
will have a payroll between Trego and
Warland of approximately $500. 90, and
j. Hofert- a payroll of $12,O0OO0, be-
tween the same two points. Mr.. Sher-
man says the lowest paid of the 10
men cutting trees for him so far this
tall has made $500 per day for him.
self and $500 per day for his team.
One man in 10 days time this fall has
made $500 per day. That cutter
worked where Christmas trees grew
close together, and he hustled. Mr..
Bath saws that all his cutters are new.
and had to learn what characteristics
make good Christmas tree. In spite
OF their unfamiliarity with trees and
in spite Of the fact that the Kirk COM
4pany selects their trees carefully, men
cutting for the company have been
able to make good wages. Mr.. Bath
says that his cutters should make $500
to $500 per day next fall.
This is the fourth year that Christ
mas trees have beer shipped from Lin
coin county Thus far they have been
cut from privately owned lands only.
This year j. Hofert did not use the
permit which they held to cut on state
owned forest land. Practically all the
trees cut are Douglas fir. They vary
in age from eight wears up to 20, for
trees 10 feet or less in height. The
greatest number of trees shinped are
six and eight foot lengths A few only
are cut over ~ feet More eight foot
trees are sold than trees OF any other
length. In Montana from six to II
Years are required to grow a tree of
this lenrth, EXCEPT on very poor sites
Not always are the most healthy
trees md those which have crown most
RAPIDLY cut for Christmas trees. Verv
often the slowly growing trees and
those which have been stunted by poor
site factors have the bushiest tops and
50 make the best Christmas trees. Mr..
Sherman saws that the public has had
to be educated 10 the use of Montana
crown trees for Christmas use, because
the Green in the Montana grown Doug
las frs is bit paler than the green
in the trees grown on the western
side of the Cascade mountains. where
there is much more moisture.
The method of cutting employed in
Montana is different from that used
in western Washington where the trees
are crop on manv sites: in Montana
a great number of trees are topped"
that is. the top is cut out Of the tree,
as much of it as is suitable for a tree.
j. Hofert does not favor the topping
method He prefers that the smaller
trees be cut and that only one branch
be left on the stump. This one branch
if healthy, will 90 right on growing,
and in a few years will produce an
other Christmas tree. In western Wash
ington, two to three foot tree, started
from single branch left on healthy
stump will grow and be ready to cut
in three to four years. In Montana a
longer time is required This practice
of leaving one branch is not vet in
leave a branch. Trees cut are tied in
bundles, the three foot trees in bundles
of sly; trees overNl0 feet are tied SEN
arately The cutter is paid by the
bundle. loaded into the car On the
average he pets a cent foot for all
trees. Mr.. Sherman tells of one $50
acre tract in western WASHINGTON with
which he is familiar which has been
cut over for Christmas trees for the
past n years. The owner once tried
to give the piece of land away for
the taxes. it was on gravel bar and
was unproductive-of anything except
Douglas fir.
Mr.. Sherman for J. Hofert of Puval
lup says that of all the Christmas tree
cutters with whom he deals. none are
more satisfactory to do business with
than those he meets in Lincoln county.
Whxt ,,oto HE nrgnpi7atin, ic enabling
Lincoln county men to make money
where none was made before.
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