The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-12-05
Minnesota and Christmas
Trees-An Interesting Story

GN&SzGSsSe ~ ~ 1900 n;
Out in the forest stood pref
ty little Fir Tree. When it was
winter and snow lay all around
white and sparkling, rabbits
would often come jumping
along and spring right over it.
This made the little Fir Tree so
angry. "Oh, to grow-to grow
and become old; that's the only
fine thing in this world. Oh, If
I were only as great a tree as
the others"
Thus begins Hans Christian An
derson's fairy tale Of the little fir
tree that became a Christmas tree
with tinsel stars in it's crown and
happy children dancing around.
But Minnesota has it's own story
of Christmas trees-a story that
sounds like fairy tale but is based
on facts.
It is a story of millions of Christ
mas trees cut from areas hitherto
of little value, from stagnant
swamps and dense thickets where
they would have a little chance to
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. trees of NOM
entary splendor, whose brief service
has built up a million dollar in
dustry in Minnesota and furnished
thousands of men with employ
ment.
When the Conservation Depart
ment first took over the control of
the Christmas tree industry, it was
merely an experiment by three OBJ
jectives: 1) To eliminate illegal
cutting; (2) to reduce waste, and
90 to determine how some of the
vast state-owned black spruce
swamps might be made to yield
Christmas trees regularly under
supervised cutting.
The Division Of Forestry policy
which allows only one out of every
ten trees to be cut from state
owned tracts was adopted. This in
sures continual development of
Christmas tree areas and a sus-
tanned annual production. It guar
antees that the industry, though it
flares briefly before the holidays,
will continue indefinitely in Min
nesota.
"Cut out and get out" has no
place in present day forest opera
lions. In fact, under Minnesota's
present cutting policies, the Christ
mas tree harvest had doubled
within the past five years.
Having adopted a policy, the next
step was legislation. The Christmas
tree law, passed in 1885, is simple
and easy to understand.
1. Cutting or transporting of
evergreen or coniferous trees must
be with the consent of land own
ers.
2. No trees shall be removed
from any tract until taxes due and
payable on that tract have been
fully paid.
3. Before cutting any forest pro-
ducts the state forester must be
notified in writing OF the legal de-
scription of all lands involved in
the intended logging operations.
4. The official two cent state tag
must be affixed to all trees before
they are removed from the forty
where they were cut, except that
individuals may remove three trees
for their own uses without tags.
OF the 100000 trees cut, Min
nesota uses thirty-one per cent of
them. The remainder goes to every
state in the union and abroad,
Buenos Aires, Cuba and Hawaii
celebrate the holidays with trees
from Minnesota.
Thousands of men have been CIV
en- needed employment. These in
cluded workers in the woods, rail-
road men, truckers and dealers.
Last year, 1,125 operators or log
gers were engaged in cutting
Christmas trees and approximately
the same number are employed this
year.
The dipping of trees and spray
ing of larger trees enlarges the in
dustry. Painted trees cost twen-
ty-five per cent more but the paint
is non-inflammable and keeps the
trees fresh for a longer period. The
color on the trees frequently takes
the place of tinsel, baubles and
decorations.
Within the past two years a by
product of the Christmas tree in
dustry has rapidly developed. Pine
cones, formerly burned, are now
carefully harvested. They are pick
ed off the trees when they are ripe,
but not green, and used in holiday
wreaths and decorations. Some are
dipped in paint and clipped on
Christmas trees to take the place