The coastland times., 1956-12-21
CHRISTMAS TREES NAY
BE GROWN FOR PROFIT

$50 you want to go into the
Christmas tree business 2" asks
Extension Forestry Specialist Fred
Whitfield. And it might not be a
bad idea, considering the prices
received from eager buyers during
the holiday season.
During the Christmas season,
says Whitfield, many Americans
are brought into close contact with
the freshness and fragrance of the
forest as at no other time. And
Christmas trees and greens have
become an established custom for
decorative purposes, both indoors
and out.
Whitfield points out that almost
all species of evergreens can be
used for Christmas trees, but he
warns that some command bet
ter market price than others be-
cause of desirable characteristics.
The needed characteristics for
trees used indoors are that the
tree should hold its needles, it
should have non-prickly foliage
with healthy green color, it must
have a fragrant odor, and it should
have branches that will regain
their shape after being packed for
shipment.
At the present rate of use, some
people have asked if the trees will
not soon be gone. AS the type of
tree used for Christmas becomes
exhausted in the "wild" areas, they
are being replaced with trees
grown for that purpose in planted
areas. This seems to be profitable
business for those who grow
Christmas trees as a farm enter
prise.
But before jumping into the bus
mess, warns Whitfield, there are
several things landowner may
want to know. What kind of trees
should be planted. Where can one
get seedlings? On what kind of
soil should they be planted? And
most important, where can they be
marketed, and what Kind of profit
can be expected?
Before planting any kind of
trees, says Whitfield, a grower
should check with his county farm
agent. Whitfield says the agent can
tell you the kind to plant, and he
has list of nurseries that may
have the seedlings that you may
need. In North Carolina red cedar,
Southern Balsam fir, Douglas fir,
Norway spruce, and perhaps others
may be planted as Christmas trees
in different localities.
The soil in which such seedlings
are planted should be chosen care
fully, warns Whitfield. First of all,
a soil test should be taken to de-
termine the level of acidity and the
level of phosphate. Spruces and
Balsams will not do well on nom
acid soil. If the field has been
lined within the last five years,
it's not likely to be suited for
Christmas trees, even though there
are exceptions.
AS far as marketing is concern
ed, there are a few wholesalers in
larger cities who may take trees
off your hands if you had large
enough quantities to supply their
demand. Small quantities could be
sold locally, but this market is ex-
tremely limited, Whitfield points
cut. Before planting any trees, it
may be wise to check with buyers
to determine marketing possibili-
ties, he adds.
If one is interested in Christmas
trees as farm enterprise, he will
want to look at the costs and re-
turns so he may compare it with
alternative operations. Say he pur-
chased seedlings at $35 per thous-
and and planted them A. A. This,
plus the cost of half the labor re-
quired, fertilizer, twine, harvesting,
and marketing costs would run to-
tai costs per acre to close to $500.
Most of the 2,700 trees should be
ready for sale after 10 years
growth, adds Whitfield.
If they were delivered to a
wholesaler at 10 cents running
foot for three foot sizes and 80
cents foot for larger sizes, a