The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-10-26
This County
Ships Most
Xmas Trees
Leads All Western Montana
in Production of That
Holiday Necessity.
| $4,000 TREES
PRODUCED IN 1898
By Z. +. Rapraeger

instantly to Christmas as the lead
ing holiday of the year. 1t is a
happy time especially for young
sters. Today's children probably re-
celve a greater array of toys and
candy than their parents received
when they were young but, at that,
they deserve them all Perhaps
the greatest thrill the children re-
ceive is when they rush down the
stairs on Christmas morning and
see the Christmas tree, evergreen
and a symbol of endless life, gaily
bedecked with tinsel and orna-
ments. Somehow or other, the way
the children stampede down the
stairs makes even the oldsters feel
young One would have to search
far and wide to find a better use
for a tree.
1t is commonly supposed that Mar
tin Luther (l483- 1886, leader of
the Reformation, originated the
Christmas tree custom. From this
beginning the idea spread to every
continent, to every nation, to thou
sands of homes, to millions of peo-
pie.
Nine Million Trees Annually
1t is estimated that the United
States now consumes about nine
million Christmas trees annually.
Few Montanans realize that their
sparsely settled commonwealth pro-
duces about one sixth of the Christ
mas trees used in this country. AL
most all of these trees are produced
in western Montana, chiefly in
Lake; Lincoln, and Flathead coun-
ties In the northwestern part of the
state. Except for shipments to In
land Empire cities, Montana trees
are sold mostly in the upper Mis-
sissippi Valley and tributary val
leys including the Ohio and the
Missouri. Here are many good mar
kets such as large cities Chicago,
Cleveland, ST. Louis, Minneapolis)
as well as the expansive treeiess
areas of the Great Plains.
In western Montana commercial
cutting of Christmas trees begins
about October 10 and the last ship
ments are on their way by Deem
Der TO- Prior to October, orders
must be solicited, arrangements
made for cutting areas, cutters and
trucks are hired, bank credit es-
tablished, and numerous other de-
tails attended to.
When October arrives the harvest
begins. Douglas fir is the only
species which is used commercially
in quantities. Since Douglas fir of
the northern Rockies does not make
a very valuable lumber tree, Christ
mas tree cutting often improves the
value of the forest by improving
conditions for growth of more val
ued species. Harm is seldom done
to the future forest If only 10 to 20
trees are cut per acre per year.
BY cutting lightly many stands can
be recut in a few years and some
oftener, with little reduction in the
final yield of timber. Cutting, of
course, should not be destructive.
Land should not be denuded and
trees should not be chopped out of
tops. If the slash constitutes fire
hazard, it should be disposed of,
especially along roads and trails,
Before trees are hauled from the
woods to the shipping yards they
are inspected by a representative
of Christmas tree company. The
ideal Christmas tree is aromatic,
stocky, short-jointed symmetrical,
and of a size which can be marketed
profitably. Its boughs must be
springy and covered with compare
lively short, green needles which
retain their evergreen color and do
not shed easily.
At the shipping yards, trees are
sorted by heights, baled compactly,
and loaded in cars for their long
journey to the Middle West The
average load in railroad car is.
about ALSO trees, or 1000 bales,
though the number depends on the
size of the car and the sizes loaded
Provides Much Employment
Producing carload of Christmas
trees provides employment for two
men for about two months, and the
seasons production (about $50 car
loads provides about 1,400 man
months of employment. Practically
all Of this employment is obtained
by Montana workers. Besides
wages for local labor, the Christmas
tree industry makes expenditures
for truck hire, stumpage, office rent
al, and other expenses. The total
out-o f-pocket cost of producing a
carload of trees is approximately
$500 or $780, or about to IL cents
per tree. From an economical
standpoint these expenditures are
important to Montanans because
they come at season of the year
when employment is usually scarce
In addition to these local ex-
penditures, the Christmas tree in
dustry gives employment to rail-
readers, and truckers who transport
the trees to market, and to ven
doris who dispose Of them on arrival.
Continued on page p